Appeal No. 1999-1101
Application 08/727,125
fertilizers at a rate depending upon the determined soil
chemical composition. Monson does not disclose real-time
application of fertilizer based on a physical characteristic
of the crop.
Peterson discloses use of a hand-held chlorophyll meter
to measure portions of leaves in the field as a tool to
detecting nitrogen deficiency and determining the need for
additional nitrogen fertilizer. The meter is an alternative
to soil testing (first page). Peterson discloses that there
is a close link between leaf chlorophyll and nitrogen content
(first page). Peterson teaches using reference strips (strips
in the field that are adequately fertilized with sufficient
levels of nitrogen fertilizer so they do not exhibit nitrogen
deficiency) to calibrate the chlorophyll meter for each field,
previous crop, hybrid, fertilizer and/or manure application,
and differing soil types (under "Establishing Reference
Strips" and Fig. 3). "By comparing the average chlorophyll
meter readings from the reference strips to those from the
rest of the field, N sufficiency and the need for additional N
supplied through fertigation can be determined." (Under
"Establishing Reference Strips.") The recommended measurement
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