Use of within-field-element-size CV for improved nutrient fertilization in crop production
First Claim
1. A method for in-season nutrient application to a crop including the steps of:
- (a) determining a maximum potential yield;
(b) determining a nutrient response index for a field;
(c) determining a reference coefficient of variation for the response index;
(d) measuring a normalized difference vegetation index for a plot within said field;
(e) determining a coefficient of variation within said plot;
(f) determining a predicted yield for said plot;
(g) determining an attainable yield with added nutrient as a function of said predicted yield, said response index, and said coefficient of variation;
(h) determining the nutrient removal at said predicted crop yield;
(i) determining the nutrient removal at said attainable yield;
(j) determining the amount of additional nutrient which must be supplied to achieve said attainable crop yield; and
(k) applying said amount of nutrient to said plot.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for in-season macro and micronutrient application based on predicted yield potential, coefficient of variation, and a nutrient response index. The inventive method includes the steps of: determining a nutrient response index for a field; determining the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of an area to fertilize; determining the coefficient of variation of NDVI over a plot; determining a predicted crop yield for the area without additional nutrient; determining an attainable crop yield for the area with additional nutrient; determining the nutrient requirement for the area as the difference between the nutrient removal at the attainable yield minus the nutrient removal at the predicted yield, adjusted by the efficiency of nutrient utilization in the particular crop as indicated by the coefficient of variation.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for in-season nutrient application to a crop including the steps of:
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(a) determining a maximum potential yield;
(b) determining a nutrient response index for a field;
(c) determining a reference coefficient of variation for the response index;
(d) measuring a normalized difference vegetation index for a plot within said field;
(e) determining a coefficient of variation within said plot;
(f) determining a predicted yield for said plot;
(g) determining an attainable yield with added nutrient as a function of said predicted yield, said response index, and said coefficient of variation;
(h) determining the nutrient removal at said predicted crop yield;
(i) determining the nutrient removal at said attainable yield;
(j) determining the amount of additional nutrient which must be supplied to achieve said attainable crop yield; and
(k) applying said amount of nutrient to said plot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for determining an application rate for nitrogen fertilizer including the steps of:
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(a) determining a nitrogen response index for a field by measuring the NDVI of a nitrogen rich test strip and the NDVI of a test strip with nitrogen applied according to conventional practice;
(b) measuring the NDVI of a plot within said field;
(c) determining a coefficient of variation within said plot;
(d) determining a predicted yield for said plot;
(e) determining an attainable yield as a function of said predicted yield, said response index, and said coefficient of variation;
(f) determining the nitrogen removal at said predicted crop yield;
(g) determining the nitrogen removal at said attainable yield;
(h) determining the amount of additional nitrogen fertilizer which must be supplied to achieve said attainable yield; and
(i) applying said amount of nitrogen fertilizer to said plot.
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11. A method for determining an application rate for nitrogen fertilizer including the steps of:
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(a) determining a nitrogen response index for a field by measuring the NDVI of a nitrogen rich test strip and the NDVI of a test strip with nitrogen applied according to conventional practice;
(b) measuring the NDVI of a plot within said field;
(c) determining the height of a plant within said plot;
(d) determining a predicted yield for said plot;
(e) determining an attainable yield as a function of said predicted yield, said response index, and said height of said plant;
(f) determining the nitrogen removal at said predicted crop yield;
(g) determining the nitrogen removal at said attainable yield;
(h) determining the amount of additional nitrogen fertilizer which must be supplied to achieve said attainable crop yield; and
(i) applying said amount of nitrogen fertilizer to said plot.
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12. A method of communicating the proper amount of a nutrient to apply to a plant including the steps of:
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(a) determining an expected yield potential of a plant in a crop of plants under current conditions;
(b) determining a maximum potential yield for said crop of plants with added nutrient;
(c) determining a proper amount of the nutrient to apply to said plant by calculating the difference between said maximum potential yield and said expected yield potential; and
(d) communicating said proper amount of the nutrient to apply to said plant. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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24. A non-volatile memory comprising instructions that when executed perform the method of:
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(a) determining an expected yield potential of a plant in said crop of plants under current growing conditions;
(b) determining a maximum attainable yield for a crop of plants with added nutrient;
(c) determining a proper amount of a nutrient to apply to said plant by calculating the difference between said maximum attainable yield and said expected yield potential; and
(d) communicating said proper amount of nutrients to apply to said plant.
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25. A method for automatically determining the response index for a field including the steps of:
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(a) providing a first area within a field having a crop planted therein, said first area being fertilized with a nutrient such that said nutrient will not be limiting as to the production of said crop;
(b) providing a second area within said field, said second area being adjacent said first area and fertilized according to the common practice within said field;
(c) after emergence of said crop within said first and second areas, scanning said first area with a scanner for sensing a characteristic of said crop indicative of a nutrient status;
(d) contemporaneous with the scanning in step (c), scanning said second area with said scanner;
(e) within said scanner pairing a first site from said first area with an adjacent second site from said second area; and
(f) within said scanner determining a response index for said first and second sites as a function of the nutrient status of said first site and the nutrient status of said second site. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification