Variable product agrochemicals application management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9898016-B2
Application number	US-201314072354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2013
Priority date	Sep 30, 2010
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

Methods and products are provided for facilitating application of variable-product agrochemicals, such as fertilizer, to an application area, such as a field. The fertilizer or agrochemical may include a single fertilizer or agrochemical type or a mixture. In one embodiment, a fertilizer-application area is divided into application cells, and a fertilizer product is determined for each cell, based on zones of the application area with a similar characteristic, such as topographic wetness index levels. Based on a determined product for each cell, instructions for controlling an agrochemical applicator are automatically generated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of managing application of agrochemical to an area made up of a plurality of location points of land, the method comprising:
determining an attribute value, for each location point of said plurality of location points in an application area, that represents a degree to which said location point possesses a certain characteristic, thereby resulting in a set of attribute values;
delineating a first zone based on said set of attribute values, wherein said first zone is made up of location points having attribute values belonging to a range of values;
from a set of agrochemical-application parameters, based on a subset of agrochemical application parameters that relate to limitations of physically applying agrochemical, logically partitioning said application area to define at least one application cell;
(1) wherein at least a portion of said first zone falls within said at least one application cell; and
(2) wherein said at least one application cell encompasses a subset of the plurality of location points, thereby resulting in a subset of attribute values that are associated with said at least one application cell;
receiving at least one application parameter from said set of application parameters;
from among a number of agrochemical types, determining an application schedule of agrochemical to be applied to said application cell based on said subset of attribute values and at least one application parameter, wherein said at least one agrochemical-application parameter includes an attribute-value threshold; and further comprising:
comparing said attribute-value threshold to an attribute value representative of said first zone;
based on said comparison, designating said first zone for receiving a certain agrochemical type.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating controller-information that is usable by an agrochemical applicator to apply agrochemical to said application cell consistent with said determined application schedule.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a mapping of said application cell within said application area, wherein said mapping includes geographically referenced visual information representing said application of schedule of agrochemical.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said application schedule of agrochemical to be applied to said application cell is further determined based on said first zone's designation and said portion of said first zone falling within said application cell.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein said at least one agrochemical-application parameter further includes a mixed-types parameter, for indicating whether said application cell is permitted to receive an application of a single-agrochemical type or a mixture of agrochemical types, and further comprising:
delineating a second zone based on said set of attribute values,
(1) wherein said second zone is made up of land with attribute values that are different than said attribute values of said first zone, and
(2) wherein at least a portion of said second zone falls within said application cell;
comparing said attribute-value threshold to at least one attribute value of said second zone;
based on said comparison, designating said second zone for receiving a certain agrochemical type;
wherein said product of agrochemical to be applied to said application cell is further determined based on said mixed-types parameter, said second-zone designation, and said portion of said second zone falling within said application cell, such that:
(1) said single-agrochemical type is said agrochemical type designated by the zone, from among said first and second zones, occupying the largest area within said application cell; and
(2) said mixture of agrochemical types includes a mixed ratio of said agrochemical type designated by said first-zone and said agrochemical type designated by said second zone, wherein said mixed ratio is based on a proportion of said portions of said first and second zones within said application cell.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said at least one agrochemical-application parameter further includes a risk-avoidance level, and wherein said threshold is adjusted based on said risk-avoidance level.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said attribute-value threshold comprises a set of sub-thresholds, such that each sub-threshold defines one end of a range of attribute values.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one application parameter is related to historical application information including previous yield information or previous agrochemical-application information.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one agrochemical-application parameter includes a mixed-types parameter, for indicating whether said application-cell is permitted to receive an application of a single-agrochemical type or a mixture of agrochemical types.

10. Computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that when executed, facilitate a method of managing application of agrochemical to an area made up of one or more location points of land, the method comprising:
receiving an attribute value, for each location point of said one or more location points in an application area, associated with a degree to which said location point possesses a certain characteristic;
from a set of agrochemical-application parameters, based on a subset of agrochemical-application parameters that relate to limitations of physically applying agrochemical, determining at least one application cell from said application area, wherein said at least one application cell encompasses a subset of the one or more location points, thereby resulting in a subset of attribute values that are associated with said at least one application cell;
receiving at least one agrochemical-application parameter from said set of application parameters;
determining an application of agrochemical to be applied to said application cell based on said subset of attribute values and said at least one agrochemical-application parameter, wherein said at least one agrochemical-application parameter includes an attribute-value threshold; and further comprising:
comparing said attribute-value threshold to an attribute value representative of said subset of attribute values associated with said application cell; and
based on said comparison, designating said application cell for receiving a certain agrochemical application.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 10 , further comprising: generating controller-information that is usable by an agrochemical applicator to facilitate applying agrochemical to said application cell consistent with said determined application of agrochemical.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 10 , further comprising: generating a mapping of said application cell within said application area, wherein said mapping includes geographically referenced visual information representing said application of agrochemical.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein said mapping further includes geographically-referenced visual-information representing a subsequent crop-yield resulting from an agrochemical application based on said product.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein determined application of agrochemical comprises an application schedule specifying a product of agrochemical to apply, a quantity and agrochemical type or types,

Assignees

• Univ Missouri

Inventors

• Motavalli Peter P
• Nelson Kelly A

Classifications

• G06Q10/0631

  Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• G05D21/02 Primary

  characterised by the use of electric means · CPC title

• A01C21/007 Primary

  Determining fertilization requirements · CPC title

• A01C21/005

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title