Method of marketing and contracting for the sale of agricultural yield-increase related products

• US 8,195,541 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telus Agriculture & Consumer Goods Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Plant Health Care, Inc. (Plant Health Care Plc)
• Inventors: Rice, Richard L., Cloutier, Michael Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Zare, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crawley, Talia
• Application Number:
  US12/608,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method of contracting for the sale of a yield-increase and/or crop protection related products includes the steps of mapping, using geo-referencing technology, areas of a field which have been treated with the yield-increase and/or crop protection related product and areas of the field which have not been treated, measuring, using geo-referencing technology, an amount of harvested crop from the field in both the treated and untreated areas, comparing the amount of harvested crop in the treated areas with the amount of harvested crop in the untreated areas to determine a yield increase associated with the treated areas, and charging for application of the yield-increase and/or crop protection related product based on the determined amount of yield increase. The data acquired may be stored in a database for further use and comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(A) entering into a contract with a party for the sale of an agricultural product;

(B) storing terms of the contract in a computer memory;

(C) mapping areas of a field which have been treated with the agricultural product and areas of the field which have not been treated with the agricultural product to produce a treatment map;

(D) storing the treatment map in a computer-readable database;

(E) measuring an amount of crop harvested from the field in both the treated areas and the untreated areas to produce yield data;

(F) storing the yield data in a computer readable database;

(G) using a computer processor to compare the amount of crop harvested in the treated areas with the amount of crop harvested in the untreated areas;

(H) if the comparison indicates a yield increase associated with the treated areas then, after (G), charging the party for the agricultural product in an amount based on the yield increase associated with the treated areas; and

(I) if the comparison does not indicate a yield increase associated with the treated areas, then not charging the party in any amount for the agricultural product, whereby the party does not make any payment for the agricultural product unless the comparison indicates a yield increase associated with the treated areas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the agricultural product comprises a yield increase product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the agricultural product comprises a crop protection product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (C) comprises using geo-referencing technology on planting equipment to map the areas of a field which have been treated with the agricultural product and areas of the field which have not been treated with the agricultural product.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the geo-referencing technology comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (E) comprises using geo-referencing technology on harvesting machinery to measure the amount of crop harvested from the field in both the treated areas and the untreated areas.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geo-referencing technology comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(J) producing a map which illustrates the amount of yield increase that has resulted from the use of the agricultural product.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein (H) comprises charging the party for an amount based on terms of the contract which specify a relationship between yield increase and the amount to be charged to the party.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein (H) comprises charging the party an amount which increases as the amount of yield increase associated with the treated areas increases.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein (H) comprises charging the party an amount which increases as the amount of yield increase associated with the treated areas increases, with the amount charged to the party being capped at a maximum amount.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(J) storing a record of the amount charged in a computer readable database.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(J) before (C), applying the agricultural product to the treated areas and leaving the untreated areas untreated.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein (J) comprises:

(J)(1) applying the agricultural product to the treated area using an applicator that utilizes geo-referencing technology to create an application map which specifies where the agricultural product has been applied and where the agricultural product has not been applied; and

(J)(2) storing the application map in a computer readable database.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein (E) comprises:

(E) (1) utilizing geo-referenced yield-monitoring equipment during harvesting of crop from the field in both the treated areas and the untreated areas to obtain a yield map, the yield map including the amount and location of the crop being harvested from both the treated and the untreated areas; and

(E)(2) storing the yield map in a computer readable database.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the yield-monitoring equipment comprises a flow meter.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the yield-monitoring equipment comprises a weight monitor.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein (G) comprises combining the application map and the yield map to produce an electronic data map representing the yield produced by the treated and untreated areas.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein producing the electronic data map includes performing spatial regression analysis on the yield map to correct and correlate data in the yield map.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the yield-monitoring equipment includes Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and wherein (E) (1) comprises using the GPS technology of the yield-monitoring equipment to identify the location of the crop being harvested from both the treated and the untreated areas.

21. A system for use in connection with a contract between a first party and a second party for the sale of an agricultural product from the first party to the second party, the system comprising:

means for storing terms of the contract in a computer memory;

mapping means for mapping areas of a field which have been treated with the agricultural product and areas of the field which have not been treated with the agricultural product to produce a treatment map;

means for storing the treatment map in a computer-readable database;

measurement means for measuring an amount of crop harvested from the field in both the treated areas and the untreated areas to produce yield data;

means for storing the yield data in a computer readable database;

comparison means for comparing the amount of crop harvested in the treated areas with the amount of crop harvested in the untreated areas charging means for charging the party, only if the comparison indicates a yield increase associated with the treated areas and after using the computer processor to compare the amount of crop harvested in the treated areas with the amount of crop harvested in the untreated areas, determining in an amount based on the yield increase associated with the treated areas, whereby the party does not make any payment for the agricultural product unless the comparison indicates a yield increase associated with the treated areas.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the agricultural product comprises a yield increase product.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the agricultural product comprises a crop protection product.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the mapping means comprises means for mapping the areas of a field which have been treated with an agricultural product and areas of the field which have not been treated with the agricultural product.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the geo-referencing technology comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the measurement means comprises means for measuring the amount of crop harvested from the field in both the treated areas and the untreated areas.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the geo-referencing technology comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

map production means for producing a map which illustrates the amount of yield increase that has resulted from the use of the agricultural product.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the charging means comprises means for determining an amount to charge the second party based on terms of the contract which specify a relationship between yield increase and the amount to be charged to the second party.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the charging means comprises means for determining an amount which increases as the amount of yield increase associated with the treated areas increases.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the charging means comprises means for determining an amount which increases as the amount of yield increase associated with the treated areas increases, with the amount charged to the second party being capped at a maximum amount.

32. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for storing a record of the amount charged.

33. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

product application means for applying the agricultural product to the treated areas and for leaving the untreated areas untreated.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the product application means comprises:

means for applying the agricultural product to the treated area using an applicator that utilizes geo-referencing technology to create an application map which specifies where the agricultural product has been applied and where the agricultural product has not been applied; and

means for storing the application map in a computer readable database.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the measurement means comprises:

means for utilizing geo-referenced yield-monitoring equipment during harvesting of crop from the field in both the treated areas and the untreated areas to obtain a yield map, the yield map including the amount and location of the crop being harvested from both the treated and the untreated areas; and

means for storing the yield map in a computer readable database.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the yield-monitoring equipment comprises a flow meter.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the yield-monitoring equipment comprises a weight monitor.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the comparison means comprises means for combining the application map and the yield map to produce an electronic data map representing the yield produced by the treated and untreated areas.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the comparison means comprises means for performing spatial regression analysis on the yield map to correct and correlate data in the yield map.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein the yield-monitoring equipment includes Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and wherein the means for utilizing geo-referenced yield-monitoring equipment comprises means for using the GPS technology of the yield-monitoring equipment to identify the location of the crop being harvested from both the treated and the untreated areas.