Simulation Of Plant Root Detection Based On Antenna Technology

Root systems are crucial underground organs of plant growth,yet the research development of root systems has lagged compared to aboveground plant structures.One of the main reasons is that root systems are located deep within the ground,making them difficult to observe.Traditional detection methods are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive,but also cause damage to both the soil and roots.Therefore,it is of vital importance to find a reliable and non-destructive detection method.This thesis presents a non-destructive plant root system detection method based on ground-penetrating radar technology while incorporating the following research:(1)Initially,finite element analysis is utilized for the simulation of conventional microstrip patch antennas,and a summary of the antenna’s performance is provided.Given ground-penetrating radars are commonly restricted in design dimensions for vehicle-mounted or portable systems,a novel dual-rectangular microstrip patch antenna operating at 2.45 GHz with a maximum gain of 10.15 d B is designed,based on the antenna design theory.The patches are interconnected by power dividers and impedance matchers,resulting in good matching with a 50-ohm input voltage.(2)The study’s emphasis is on collecting plant root data,which includes the radii,lengths,and moisture content of radicles and internodal roots,to establish a root system model.In a simulation process,the antenna reflection coefficient’s changing trend is observed,while controlling the dielectric constant,by varying the root system’s radius.Subsequently,the dielectric constant is altered,while keeping the radius constant,to observe the varying trends of the antenna reflection coefficient and electric field strength.(3)Based on the trends of dielectric constant and radius changes on reflection coefficient fluctuations,MATLAB is employed to invert the simulated reflection coefficient data.The resulting root shape images are compared with the actual root models.(4)The dual-rectangular microstrip patch antenna is fabricated and used to conduct probing experiments on the plant root system under two different media.Data reflecting the influence of the plant root system on the antenna reflection coefficient is obtained.The accuracy of the experimental results is verified by comparing the measured values with the simulated values.The proposed method using the antenna’s reflection coefficient change during detection inverts the underground root system model,decreasing computational loads in root system imaging and rapidly generating root distribution maps.This provides fundamental support for future plant root system health monitoring and enhanced agricultural production.