METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CLASSIFICATION IN PRECISION FARMING

• US 20060282228A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Hi Bred International Inc (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Hi Bred International Inc (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: MEYER, TERRY EuCLAIRE, GOGERTY, JOSEPH K., BAX, PHILLIP L., AVEY, DONALD P., HARWOOD, DAVID J., PETERSON, TODD A., BROOKE, RICHARD GLENN, ERTL, DAVID S., LAUER, MICHAEL J.
• Application Number:
  US11/423,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282228A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/81
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 1/00 Apparatus, or methods of use thereof, for testing or treating seed, roots, or the like, prior to sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/00 Methods of fertilising , sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 1/04 Processes of selection involving genotypic or phenotypic markers; Methods of using phenotypic markers for selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/10 in agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Abstract

Methods and software for selecting seed products or other agricultural inputs for planting within an associated land base include dividing the field into regions, providing an environmental profile for each of regions, determining a recommendation of a seed product to plant within each of the regions based on the environmental profile and performance of the genotype of each of the seed products in the environmental profile of the regions, and providing an output identifying the seed product to plant within each of the regions.

Claims

1. A computer-assisted method of selecting seed products for planting by a crop producer associated with a field, each of the seed products having a genotype, the method comprising:

dividing the field into a plurality of regions;

providing an environmental profile for each of the regions;

determining a recommendation of a seed product for each of the regions based on the environmental profile and performance of the genotype of each of the seed products in the environmental profile of the regions;

providing an output comprising identification of the seed product to plant within each of the regions.

2. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 wherein the environmental profile includes an environmental classification associated with each of the regions.

3. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the recommendation is based at least partially on genotype-by-environment interactions.

4. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the recommendation is based at least partially on genotype-by-environment-by-management interactions.

5. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 wherein the environmental profile includes agronomic information.

6. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 wherein the environmental profile includes data selected from the set consisting of wind data, temperature data, solar radiation data, precipitation data, soil type data, soil pH data, planting and harvesting dates, irrigation data, tiled area data, previous crop data, fertilizer data, nitrogen level data, phosphorous level data, potassium level data, insecticide data, herbicide data, and biotic data.

7. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 wherein the output is displayed on a display.

8. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 further comprising supplying the seed products.

9. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 further comprising planting the seed products.

10. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 further comprising wherein the output further comprises at least one management recommendation for each of the regions.

11. The computer-assisted method of claim 10 wherein the management recommendation includes herbicide recommendations.

12. The computer-assisted method of claim 10 wherein the management recommendation includes pesticide recommendations.

13. The computer-assisted method of claim 10 wherein the management recommendation includes fertilizer type recommendations.

14. The computer-assisted method of claim 10 wherein the management recommendation includes application rate recommendations.

15. The computer-assisted method of claim 10 wherein the management recommendation includes application timing recommendations.

16. The computer-assisted method of claim 10 wherein the management recommendation includes irrigation recommendations.

17. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 further comprising wherein the output further comprises a prescription map based on the environmental profile for each of the regions.

18. The computer-assisted method of claim 2 wherein the environmental classification is selected from a set of environmental classes, the set of environmental classes comprising a temperate class, a temperate dry class, a temperate humid class, a high latitude class, and a subtropical class.

19. The computer-assisted method of claim 2 wherein the environmental classification is selected from a set of environmental classes, the set of environmental classes comprising biotic classifications.

20. The computer-assisted method of claim 3 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on performance data associated with the seed products.

21. The computer-assisted method of claim 3 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on environmental classifications associated with performance data of the seed products.

22. The computer-assisted method of claim 21, wherein said performance data includes at least one item from the set consisting of yield, drought resistance, grain moisture, lodging, stand establishment, emergence, midsilk, test weight, protein, oil, and starch percentage, relative maturity, plant height, seed size, disease resistance genes, heading date, resistance to insects, brittle snap, stalk breakage, resistance to fungus, seed moisture, head shape, hullability, seedling vigor, beginning bloom date, maturity date, seed shatter, winter survival, fiber strength, and color grade.

23. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 wherein the performance is expected performance.

24. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 wherein the performance is actual performance.

72. The computer assisted method of claim 1 wherein the recommendation provides for planting a plurality of seed products within the field.

73. The computer assisted method of claim 1 wherein the recommendation provides for planting a single seed product within the field.

74. The computer-assisted method of claim 1 further comprising determining an overall environmental profile for the field based on the environmental profile for each of the regions.

75. The computer-assisted method of claim 74 wherein the environmental profile includes an environmental classification associated with each of the regions.

25-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A computer-assisted method of selecting seed products for planting by a crop producer associated with a land base, each of the seed products having a genotype, the method comprising:

dividing the land base into a plurality of regions;

classifying each of the regions with an environmental classification;

determining a recommendation of a seed product for each of the regions based on the environmental classification;

providing an output comprising identification of the seed product to plant within each of the regions.

28. The computer-assisted method of claim 27 wherein the output further comprises predicted performance data for the seed product.

29. The computer-assisted method of claim 28 further comprising comparing the predicted performance data to actual data.

30. The computer-assisted method of claim 29 wherein the step of determining a recommendation is based at least partially on genotype-by-environment interactions.

31. The computer-assisted method of claim 27 wherein the step of determining a recommendation is based at least partially on genotype-by-environment-by-management interactions.

32. The computer-assisted method of claim 27 further comprising supplying the seed products.

33. The computer-assisted method of claim 27 further comprising wherein the output further comprises at least one management recommendation for each of the regions.

34. The computer assisted method of claim 27 wherein the recommendation provides for planting a plurality of seed products within the field.

35. The computer assisted method of claim 27 wherein the recommendation provides for planting a single seed product within the field.

36. A method to assist in classifying agricultural inputs, the method comprising:

collecting crop production information from a plurality of crop producers wherein the crop production information comprises type of seed product, environmental profile information, and performance information;

storing the crop production information in a data base;

determining a set of environmental classifications to describe the agricultural inputs at least partially based upon the environmental profile information and performance information.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the crop production information further comprises genotype-by-environment interactions.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the agricultural inputs include land base.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the agricultural inputs include regions of a land base.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein the agricultural inputs include the type of seed product.

41. The method of claim 36 wherein the crop production information further comprises location information.

42. The method of claim 36 further comprising the crop production information excludes location information and producer identity.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the location information includes historic information.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the historic information includes soil information data.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the historic information includes yield information data.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein the historic information includes chemical application information.

47. The method of claim 41 wherein the location information includes environment and production information.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the environment and production information includes data selected from the set consisting of maturity days, input traits, output traits, seed treatment, no till practice information, planting population, nitrogen utilization, drought impact based on environmental classification, drought frequency information, and soil type.

49. The method of claim 36 wherein the crop production information further comprises genotype-by-environment-by-management interactions

50. The method of claim 36 wherein the environmental profile information includes agronomic information.

51. The method of claim 36 wherein the environmental profile information includes data selected from the set consisting of wind data, temperature data, solar radiation data, precipitation data, soil type data, soil pH data, planting and harvesting dates, irrigation data, tiled area data, previous crop data, fertilizer data, nitrogen level data, phosphorous level data, potassium level data, insecticide data, herbicide data, and biotic data.

52. The method of claim 36 wherein the environmental classifications are selected from a set of environmental classes, the set of environmental classes comprising a temperate class, a temperate dry class, a temperate humid class, a high latitude class, and a subtropical class.

53. The method of claim 36 wherein the environmental classifications are selected from a set of environmental classes, the set of environmental classes comprising biotic classifications.

54. The method of claim 37 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on performance data associated with the seed products.

55. The method of claim 37 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on environmental classifications associated with performance data of the seed products.

56. The method of claim 36, wherein the performance information includes at least one item from the set consisting of yield, drought resistance, grain moisture, lodging, stand establishment, emergence, midsilk, test weight, protein, oil, and starch percentage, relative maturity, plant height, seed size, disease resistance genes, heading date, resistance to insects, brittle snap, stalk breakage, resistance to fungus, seed moisture, head shape, hullability, seedling vigor, beginning bloom date, maturity date, seed shatter, winter survival, fiber strength, and color grade.

57. The method of claim 36 wherein the performance information is expected performance information.

58. The method of claim 36 wherein the performance information is actual performance information.

59. The method of claim 36 wherein the crop production information further comprises disease information.

60. The method of claim 36 wherein the crop production information further comprises agricultural pest information.

61. The method of claim 36 wherein determining a set of environmental classifications to describe the agricultural inputs is at least partially based upon the environmental profile information, performance information and location information.

62. A method for making a recommendation for a seed product to plant within a land base, the method comprising:

collecting crop production information from a plurality of crop producers over a plurality of geographically diverse locations;

determining environmental classifications using the crop production information;

classifying the land base with at least one environmental classification;

determining the recommendation for a seed product to plant within the land base based on the at least one environmental classification.

63. The method of claim 62 further comprising supplying the seed product.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the wherein the crop production information comprises type of seed product, environmental profile information, and performance information.

65. The method of claim 62 wherein the crop production information further comprises genotype-by-environment interactions.

66. The method of claim 62 wherein the land base comprises a plurality of regions.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein each region is classified with an environmental classification.

68. The method of claim 62 further comprising storing the crop production information in a data base.

69. The method of claim 62 further comprising providing an output comprising identification of the seed product to plant within the land base.

70. A method to assist in classifying a seed product, the method comprising:

collecting crop production information from a plurality of crop producers wherein the crop production information comprises type of seed product, environmental profile information, and performance information;

storing the crop production information in a data base;

determining a set of environmental classifications to associate with the seed product at least partially based upon the environmental profile information and performance information.

71. A method to assist in classifying agricultural inputs, the method comprising:

collecting crop production information from a plurality of crop producers wherein the crop production information comprises type of seed product, environmental profile information, performance information and location information;

storing the crop production information in a data base;

determining a set of environmental classifications to associate with the agricultural inputs at least partially based upon the environmental profile information and performance information;

using the set of environmental classifications associated with the agricultural inputs to recommend a subset of the agricultural inputs.