Method and system for automated tracing of an agricultural product

• US 6,691,135 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Pickett, Terence Daniel, Nelson, Frederick William, Faivre, Stephen Michael, Beck, Andy Dwayne, Wagner, Thomas Kent, Sommer, Mark Steven, Larscheid, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Homere, Jean R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US10/327,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 705/37, 56/146, 452/157
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 91/00 Methods for harvesting agricultural products
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 25/00 Storing agricultural or horticultural produce; Hanging-up harvested fruit maturing fruit A23N15/06; arrangements in barns for preparatory treatment of tobacco A24B1/02; packing or storing hops C12C3/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

At least one of pre-planting information, planting information, growing information, harvesting information, chemical information, weather information, adjacent crop information, processing information, manufacturing information and retail information is stored in data storage. The stored information is arranged to provide a data profile associated with a particular crop for a defined geographic area. A storage identifier is associated with the arranged data profile for the particular crop. The storage identifier identifies at least one of a container and segregated storage bin for holding a particular crop for a tracked (e.g., an assigned) time duration.

Claims

1. A method of tracing a crop, the method comprising:

storing, in a data storage, at least one of planting information, growing information, harvesting information, chemical information, weather information, adjacent crop information, processing information, manufacturing information, and retail information related to a particular crop associated with a defined geographic area;

arranging the stored information for the particular crop associated with the defined geographic area to provide a data profile associated with the particular crop;

associating a storage identifier with the data profile for the particular crop, where the storage identifier identifies at least one of a container and a segregated storage bin for holding the particular crop for a tracked time duration; and

providing the data profile to a user to verify a characteristic of the particular crop or a derivative thereof, the particular crop susceptible to storage in at least one of the container and the segregated storage bin;

wherein the characteristic of the particular crop is based on at least one of a genetic make-up of the particular crop and a growing environment for the particular crop, wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of organically grown, genetically modified, non-genetically modified, altered protein content, altered oil content, and altered enzyme content, size, weight, appearance, sugar content, perishability, storability, and preservability.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the particular crop comprises an agricultural product selected from the group consisting of an organic crop, an organically grown vegetable, an organically grown fruit, number two yellow corn, high oil corn, high starch corn, waxy corn, highly fermentable corn, white corn, nutritionally-enhanced corn, pest-resistant corn, corn resistant to corn borer, herbicide resistant corn, non-genetically modified corn, and genetically modified corn, high protein soybeans, high oil soybeans, large soybeans, non-genetically modified soybeans, and genetically modified soybeans.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the storing comprises storing the planting information and harvesting information in the data storage:

the planting information comprising at least one of a planting identity of seed or stock planted, a seed or stock source, a seed or stock parentage, a crop maturity, a planting date, a planting location, soil conditions where planted, and a fertilizer, insecticide, and herbicide used, if any;

the harvesting information including at least one of a harvesting date, a harvesting location, a yield of the harvested crop, a moisture content and physical condition of the harvested crop, and settings of a harvesting machine used to harvest the crop.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the arranging comprises combining the stored planting and harvesting information for the defined geographic area to provide a collective data profile as the data profile.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

reading a container identifier as the storage identifier for storage in a database, the container identifier associated with one or more containers into which the particular crop is placed during or after harvesting.

6. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the arranging comprises the steps of:

determining whether a matching or sufficient correlation is present between recorded planting location data and recorded harvesting location data for a same growing season of the particular crop to associate corresponding planting information and harvesting information for the defined geographic area; and

combining the planting information and harvesting information for the particular crop into the data profile if the matching or sufficient correlation is determined to be present.

7. The method as defined by claim 6 wherein the recorded planting location data is electronically recorded during planting;

the recorded harvesting location data is electronically recorded during harvesting.

8. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the storing comprises storing the planting and harvesting information substantially contemporaneously with planting and harvesting operations.

9. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the storing comprises storing weather information associated with the defined geographic area associated with growing the particular crop.

10. The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the data profile of the particular crop to one or more potential users of the particular crop.

11. The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing, in the data storage, the adjacent crop information or proximate location regarding an adjacent crop associated with an adjacent location with respect to the defined geographic area of the particular crop, the adjacent crop information including at least one of an identity of seed or stock of the adjacent crop, a seed or stock source for the adjacent crop, a seed or stock parentage for the adjacent crop, a crop maturity of the adjacent crop, a planting date of the adjacent crop, a definition of the adjacent location where the adjacent crop is planted, soil conditions when planted, and any chemical application for the adjacent crop; and

combining the adjacent crop information into the data profile.

12. A method of tracing a crop comprising:

storing, in a data storage, at least one of planting information, growing information, harvesting information, chemical information, weather information, adjacent crop information, production information, processing information, manufacturing information, and retail information related to a particular crop associated with a defined geographic area;

arranging the stored information for the particular crop associated with the defined geographic area to provide a data profile associated with the particular crop;

associating a storage identifier with the data profile for the particular crop, where the storage identifier identifies at least one of a container and a segregated storage bin for holding the particular crop for a tracked time duration; and

making available at least a portion of the data profile to a recipient that receives at least one of the particular crop and a derivative product thereof; and

providing the data profile to a user that seeks to identify a characteristic of the particular crop or a derivative thereof the particular crop susceptible to storage in at least one of the container and the segregated storage bin, wherein the characteristic of the particular crop is based on at least one of a genetic make-up of the particular crop and a growing environment for the particular crop, wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of organically grown, genetically modified, non-genetically modified, altered protein content, altered oil content, and altered enzyme content, size, weight, appearance, sugar content, perishability, storability, and preservability.

13. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein the storing comprises storing the processing information regarding one or more processing steps for performance by a crop processor as the crop recipient;

wherein the arranging comprises combining the processing information with any other information in the data profile.

14. The method as defined by claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

making available at least a portion of the data profile to a subsequent crop processor that receives the particular crop or a derivative product thereof after the crop processor receives the particular crop; and

appending the data profile with processing information regarding one or more subsequent processing steps performed by the subsequent crop processor.

15. The method according to claim 12 further comprising:

storing, in the data storage, a container identifier for one or more containers for holding one of the derivative product of the particular crop and the particular crop; and

associating the container identifier with the data profile for the particular crop.

16. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein the making available comprises:

electronically sending at least a portion of the data profile on the particular crop and any derivative product produced therefrom to the recipient.

17. The method according to claim 12 further comprising:

delivering one of the particular crop and the derivative product to a downstream recipient, further downstream from the recipient; and

making available the data profile for at least one of the particular crop and the derivative product for the downstream recipient.

18. The method as defined by claim 12 further comprising:

appending the manufacturing information to the data profile, the manufacturing information regarding the manufacturing of a final product derived at least partially from the particular crop; and

appending a packaging identifier for the final product to the data profile.

19. The method as defined by claim 12 wherein the making available comprises providing at least a portion of the data profile to a consumer, as the recipient, of a final product, as the derivative product, derived from or containing the particular crop.

20. The method as defined by claim 13 wherein the making available comprises:

sending at least a portion of the data profile to a crop processor, as the recipient, that receives at least one of the one or more containers of the harvested particular crop and produces a final product, as the derivative product, from the particular crop.

21. The method according to claim 12 wherein the particular crop comprises an agricultural product selected from the group consisting of an organic crop, an organically grown vegetable, an organically grown fruit, number two yellow corn, high oil corn, high starch corn, waxy corn, highly fermentable corn, white corn, nutritionally-enhanced corn, pest-resistant corn, corn resistant to corn borer, herbicide resistant corn, non-genetically modified corn, and genetically modified corn, high protein soybeans, high oil soybeans, large soybeans, non-genetically modified soybeans, and genetically modified soybeans.