WheatScan: Tractor-mount sensing for precision application of Nitrogen and control of milling wheat protein content.

The project brings together agronomy research, on rapid protein assays for milling wheat, with engineering of photonic sensors, image recognition & mechatronic systems. The ultimate goal is to deliver a tractor-mount scanning unit for autonomous mapping of protein content across wheat fields, to a spatial resolution better than 2 square metres at full field application speeds (17km/hr) for precision application of nitrogen (N). N is the primary input cost and 80% of the carbon footprint, in milling wheat production, however it is over applied in 3 out of 4 cases. This system will enable growers to dynamically map protein distribution in the crop canopy so that all areas attain the threshold 13% protein content. The Sainsbury's 'Camgrain Consortium' of 500 growers will act as early adopters for the retrofittable system, which will incorporate emerging technologies in high-speed infrared photonics, steered on a miniature robotic gimbal through rapid embedded image processing.