METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LICENSING BY LOCATION

• US 20060293913A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.), Pioneer Hi Bred International Inc (Corteva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.), Pioneer Hi Bred International Inc (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Foresman, Joseph P., Iwig, Robert C., Goodman, Andrew G., Wanamaker, J. Kent, Bax, Phillip L., Hoover, Sue M., Avey, Donald P., Peterson, Todd A., Meyer, Terry EuClaire, Harwood, David J., Brooke, Richard Glenn, Ertl, David S., Lauer, Michael J., Gogerty, Joseph K.
• Application Number:
  US11/423,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20060293913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• 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

An agricultural input supplier can provide seed products by tying the compensation received for the seed products to an evaluation of the land base on which the seed products are to be planted and/or the performance of the seed products on the land base. The evaluation of the land base may be based on environmental classification and/or genotype-by-environment data. In addition to tying the compensation to the land quality and the seed performance, this approach to providing seed allows for recommendations to be made to the producer regarding which seed products should be used on the land base. The performance of the seed product on the land base may also be verified.

Claims

1. A method of selling seed products for planting by a crop producer comprising:

characterizing a land base at which the seed will be planted;

determining the seed to be planted at the land base

pricing the seed product based on performance of the seed product within the land base.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of characterizing the land base comprises providing an environmental classification of the land base.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance is expected performance.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the expected performance is at least partially based on characteristics of the land base.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the characteristics of the land base are based at least partially on an environmental classification associated with the land base.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the seed to be planted at the land base is at least partially based on performance of the seed product associated with an environmental classification.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the performance is actual performance.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising recommending at least one type of seed product for use in the land base.

9. The method of claim 8 where the step of recommending at least one type of seed product for use in the land base is at least partially based on genotype-by-environment interactions between the seed product and the land base.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on performance data associated with the seed products.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on environmental classifications associated with performance data of the seed products.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising auditing the performance of the at least one seed product within the land base.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of pricing the seed product based on performance of the seed product within the land base is performed by a computer in operative communication with a database of performance data associated with land bases.

14. A method of selling seed products to a producer wherein compensation for the seed products is tied to the quality of the land base of the producer, the method, comprising:

evaluating the land base of the producer to determine a quality of the land base;

determining compensation for at least one seed product at least partially based on the quality of the land base; and

providing the at least one seed products to the producer in exchange for the compensation.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of evaluating the land base comprises providing an environmental classification of the land base.

16. The method of claim 15 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.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the environmental classification is selected from a set of environmental classes, the set of environmental classes comprising biotic classifications.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the quality of the land base is associated with the environmental classification.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the quality of the land base is associated with performance of the seed product associated with the environmental classification.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising recommending at least one type of seed product for use in the land base.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising selecting crop insurance based on the recommendation.

22. The method of claim 20 where the step of recommending at least one type of seed product for use in the land base is at least partially based on genotype-by-environment interactions between the at least one seed product and the land base.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on performance data associated with the seed products.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined by statistical methods.

25. The method of claim 22 where the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined by a qualitative method.

26. The method of claim 25 where the qualitative method is phenotype plasticity.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on environmental classifications associated with performance data of the seed products.

28. The method of claim 27, 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.

29. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of determining compensation for at least one seed product is at least partially based on both the quality of the land base and the expected performance of the at least one seed product within the land base.

30. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of determining compensation for at least one seed product is at least partially based on both the quality of the land base and the actual performance of the at least one seed product within the land base.

31. The method of claim 14 further comprising auditing the performance of the at least one seed product within the land base.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of auditing incudes auditing GPS data associated with crop production in the land base.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the GPS data is associated with planting the at least one seed product in the land base.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the GPS data is associated with harvesting the at least one seed product from the land base.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of auditing includes reviewing weigh tickets for crops produced from the land base.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of auditing includes reviewing yield monitoring data for crops produced from the land base.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of auditing comprises remote sensing of the land base.

38. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of providing the at least one seed products in exchange for the compensation further comprises providing the at least one seed products in exchange for the compensation under a license agreement.

39. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one seed product is a plurality of seeds.

40. The method of claims 14 wherein the step of determining compensation for at least one seed product at least partially based on the quality of the land base is performed by a computer in operative communication with a database of performance data associated with land bases.

41. A method for auditing performance of at least one seed product used in a land base in a predetermined location, comprising:

determining the location of the land base at which the at least one seed product will be used;

tying the use of the at least one seed product within the land base to a cost of use of the at least one seed product; and

verifying use of the at least one seed product within said land base.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising verifying performance of the seed product within the field.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of verifying incudes auditing GPS data associated with crop production in the land base.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the GPS data is associated with planting the at least one seed product in the land base.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the GPS data is associated with harvesting the at least one seed product from the land base.

46. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of verifying includes reviewing weigh tickets for crops produced from the land base.

47. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of verifying includes reviewing yield monitoring data for crops produced from the land base.

48. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of verifying comprises remote sensing of the land base.

49. The method of claim 41 further comprising providing an environmental classification of the land base.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the cost of use of the at least one seed product is at least partially determined based on expected genotype-by-environment interactions between the environmental classification associated with the land base and the at least one seed product.

51. The method of claim 41 further comprising recommending at least one type of seed product for use in the land base.

52. The method of claim 41 further comprising providing the at least one seed product in exchange for compensation, wherein said compensation is the cost of use of the at least one seed product.

53. A method for auditing performance of at least one seed product used in land base in a predetermined location using GPS data associated with crop production in the land base, the method comprising:

determining the location of the land base at which the at least one seed product will be planted;

providing the at least one seed product to be used at the land base in exchange for a compensation;

tying the use of the at least one seed product within the land base to the compensation; and

verifying the use of the at least one seed product using GPS data associated with crop production in the land base.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the GPS data is associated with planting the at least one seed product in the land base.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein the GPS data is associated with harvesting the at least one seed product from the land base.

56. The method of claim 53 further comprising verifying performance of the seed product within the field.

57. The method of claim 53 further comprising providing an environmental classification of the land base.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the cost of use of the at least one seed product is at least partially determined based on expected genotype-by-environment interactions between the environmental classification associated with the land base and the at least one seed product.

59. The method of claim 53 further comprising recommending at least one type of seed product for use in the land base.

60. A method of licensing at least one seed product for planting by a crop producer associated with a land base comprising a plurality of fields, the method comprising:

determining the at least one seed product to be planted in each of the plurality of fields of the land base;

providing an environmental classification of each field within the land base; and

determining a cost of the at least one seed product for each field within the land base at least partially based on the classification of each field within the land base.

61. The method of claim 60 further comprising recommending at least one type of seed product for use in each of the plurality of fields of the land base.

62. The method of claim 61 where the step of recommending at least one type of seed product for use in the land base is at least partially based on genotype-by-environment interactions between the at least one seed product and each of the plurality of fields of the land base.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on performance data associated with the seed products.

64. The method of claim 62 wherein the genotype-by-environment interactions are determined at least partially based on environmental classifications associated with performance data of the seed products.

65. The method of claim 60 wherein the step of determining a cost of the at least one seed product is at least partially based on both the characterization of each of the plurality of fields within the land base and the expected performance of the at least one seed product within each of the plurality of fields within the land base.

66. The method of claim 60 wherein the step of determining a cost of the at least one seed product is at least partially based on both the characterization of each of the plurality of fields within the land base and the actual performance of the at least one seed product within each of the plurality of fields within the land base.

67. The method of claim 60 further comprising auditing the performance of the at least one seed product within each of the plurality of fields within the land base.

68. A method of recommending at least one seed product for planting by a crop producer associated with a land base comprising a plurality of fields, the method comprising:

identifying the location of the land base at which the at least one seed product will be planted;

classifying the land base to provide an environmental classification;

determining a recommendation of the at least one seed product to be used at the land base based on the environmental classification and performance of the genotype of each of the at least one seed product in the environmental profile of the land base;

determining compensation for the at least one seed product at least partially based on the quality of the land base; and

providing the at least one seed products to the producer in exchange for the compensation.

69. The method of claim 68 wherein the step of determining a cost of the at least one seed product is at least partially based on both the characterization of each of the plurality of fields within the land base and the expected performance of the at least one seed product within each of the plurality of fields within the land base.

70. The method of claim 68 wherein the step of determining a cost of the at least one seed product is at least partially based on both the characterization of each of the plurality of fields within the land base and the actual performance of the at least one seed product within each of the plurality of fields within the land base.

71. The method of claim 68 further comprising auditing the performance of the at least one seed product within each of the plurality of fields within the land base.