DeBiFiX – Reliable Yield Forecast Using X-ray Technology

With the help of the autonomous field robot DeBiFiX (Determination of Biomass on the Field with X-ray), it is possible to make detailed biomass determinations of growing plants in the field.

Using X-ray technology, not only the leaves but also visually inaccessible crops such as chickpea pods, rapeseed pods, or wheat ears are recorded and digitally analyzed. Thanks to the non-destructive process, this can be done repeatedly, providing a dynamic picture of yield development during the growing season. If required, the system can further be equipped with additional sensor systems such as RGB, hyperspectral imaging, and laser light sectioning. Breeding issues such as the early selection of high-yielding and stress-resistant varieties can thus be addressed significantly faster, more precisely, and more efficiently than before.

This technology is used, for example, in plots of comparative trials of different genotypes of a grain crop such as chickpea. Image acquisition is performed by a 130 kV X-ray tube and an 90 cm line detector mounted ahead of the front axle of the carrier vehicle within the lane. For example, at a speed of approximately 1.7 km/h and an exposure time of 5 ms, an image can be generated every 2 mm. This level of detail enables precise yield forecasts. A clearance height of 1.5 m also allows the analysis of taller plants such as rapeseed or buckwheat.

Biomass is determined based on the gray value, which, via the attenuation coefficient, is proportional to the absorption and thus the density of the object being examined.

The field vehicle is equipped with an autonomous GPS control system from Geo-Konzept, which allows it to autonomously follow lanes according to GIS. The plot plan of the field under investigation can be uploaded to the carrier vehicle and, together with continuously recorded GPS data during the measurement, enables precise traceability of the yield to the respective field location.

The advantage of the DeBiFiX lies in the ability to objectively quantify and evaluate growth processes of visually inaccessible above-ground plant organs. Since it is a non-destructive method, the entire plot or field can be measured automatically without having to rely on individual samples. Genotypic differences in growth rate and yield development can thus be recorded and incorporated into the assessment of the varieties. The selection of high-performing varieties is therefore supported by a data acquisition that has not been possible to this extent previously.