ON-PLANTER DIRECTED ENERGY SEED PRIMING TO INCREASE PRODUCER PROFITABILITY

This proposal is centered around designing an aftermarket upgradekit for the integration of DESP into a commercially available planter. The technical viability ofon-farm, field-scale, mobile deployment of the technology as a seamless integration onto existingplanting equipment and processes (technical feasibility) has not yet been established. GNI mustalso quantify the market potential of a DESP-enhanced planter, and the impacts such a productcould have on farmer productivity and profitability (commercialization feasibility).1. Design DESP (directed energy seed priming) prototype: Design a mobile DESP solution, in the form of an aftermarket retrofitkit. Demonstrate feasibility by installing prototypes for a specific planter currently in the market.2. Validate DESP prototype with field trial: Plant a test soybean crop with the DESP prototype tovalidate proper operation, and measure results to quantify the benefit of the DESP treatment.3. Refine DESP row-unit design into full-planter commercial implementation: Refine andoptimize the design at a retail sales price that is commercially attractive for all stakeholders.4. Dissemination of findings: Disseminate research findings among relevant stakeholders