COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD FOR APPLYING A PRODUCT ON AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for applying a product on an agricultural field, comprising the steps: receiving a control signal to start an adaptation of a product rate and/or of a frequency during a current application of the product on the agricultural field (S10); continuously determining a current amount of the product in a tank of an application device for applying the product based on a treatment savings parameter (S20); continuously determining a current position of the application device in a route through the agricultural field (S30); continuously adapting the product rate and/or the frequency based on the current position of the application device in the route through the agricultural field and the current amount of the product in the tank of the application device such that at the end of the route of the application device through the agricultural field a predetermined amount of the product is in the tank (S40).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for applying a product on an agricultural field, the method comprising: receiving a control signal to start an adaptation of a product rate and/or of a frequency during a current application of the product on the agricultural field (S10); continuously determining a current amount of the product in a tank of an application device for applying the product based on a treatment savings parameter (S20); continuously determining a current position of the application device in a route through the agricultural field (S30); and continuously adapting the product rate and/or the frequency based on the current position of the application device in the route through the agricultural field and the current amount of the product in the tank of the application device such that at the end of the route of the application device through the agricultural field a predetermined amount of the product is in the tank (S40).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal to start the adaptation of the product rate and/or of the frequency is based on a manual input and/or an automatic input, wherein the automatic input is preferably based on an initial length of the route and the current position of the application device in the route through the agricultural field.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein continuously determining the current amount of the product in the tank of the application device is based on at least one sensor configured to measure the amount of the product in the tank and/or continuously determining the current amount of the product in the tank of the application device is based on a calculation, based on an initial amount of the product in the tank of the application device and an amount of the product already applied on the agricultural field.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein continuously determining the current position of the application device in the route through the agricultural field is based on a Global Positioning System of the application device and/or a continuous analysis of a movement speed of the application device on the route through the agricultural field.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the product rate and/or the frequency is adapted within predefined ranges.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein continuously adapting the product rate is further based on an application map of the product for the agricultural field.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein continuously adapting the frequency comprises the step of adapting a triggering threshold value for triggering the application device to apply the product on the agricultural field, in case a sensor signal is used for triggering an application of the product on the agricultural field.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the continuously adapting the product rate and/or the frequency is based on a forecast calculation, which is based on an amount of the product already applied on the route through the agricultural field and the remaining route through the agricultural field.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the route of the application device is laid out through several physically separated field units.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein continuously adapting the product rate and/or the frequency is further based on a predetermined number of tank fillings or on a predetermined total product quantity.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the product is a crop protection product, pesticide, fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, acaricide, molluscicide, nematicide, avicide, piscicide, rodenticide, repellant, bactericide, biocide, safener, plant growth regulator, urease inhibitor, nitrification inhibitor, denitrification inhibitor, fertilizer, seeds and/or water.

12. A system for applying a product on an agricultural field, the system comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive a control signal to start a continuous adaptation of a product rate and/or a frequency during a current application of the product on the agricultural field; a first determination unit configured to continuously determine a current amount of the product in a tank of an application device for applying the product; a second determining unit configured to continuously determine a current position of the application device in a route through the agricultural field; and an adapting unit configured to continuously adapt the product rate and/or the frequency based on the current position of the application device in the route through the agricultural field and the current amount of the product in the tank of the application device such that at the end of the route of the application device through the agricultural field a predetermined amount of the product is in the tank.

13. Use of an application device in a method according to claim 1.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform the method of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In the following, the present disclosure is described exemplarily with reference to the enclosed figure, in which

[0039] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a method according to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the method for providing a treatment savings parameter, according to an embodiment

[0041] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of determining a treatment savings parameter

[0042] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of determining a treatment savings parameter;

[0043] FIG. 5 shows an even further embodiment of determining a treatment savings parameter;

[0044] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a display output of a display, operatively coupled with an application device;

[0045] FIG. 7 shows an example of a treatment device, according to an embodiment;

[0046] FIG. 8 shows a distributed computing system including an application device, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

[0047] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a method according to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following, an exemplary order of the steps according to the present disclosure is explained. However, the provided order is not mandatory, i.e. all or several steps may be performed in a different order or simultaneously.

[0048] The method below can be summarized as follows. The machinery is constantly monitored. Collected information can be product applied per area, position, machinery settings. As soon a start signal is received a current amount of a product in a tank of an application device and a current position of the application device in a route through an agricultural field are continuously determined. Based on the current position, a remaining distance along the route is determined. The remaining distance along the route in combination with the working width of the application device corresponds to the untreated area of the agricultural field. Based on the current amount of product in the tank and the distance remaining along the route or the area still to be treated along the route, the product rate and/or frequency of the application device is adapted such that at the end of the route there is a certain amount of the product in the tank. Preferably, based on the amount applied and/or corresponding product rates and/or corresponding frequency so far along the route, the amount still to be applied along the remaining route is estimated. Preferably based on the estimate and the current amount of the product in the tank and the current position, the product rate and/or the frequency are continuously adapted.

[0049] In a first step S10 a control signal to start an adaptation of a product rate and/or of a frequency during a current application of the product on the agricultural field is received by receiving unit. The control signal may be a manual input from a user, e.g. a farmer controlling the agricultural device. The control signal may be an automatic control signal, wherein triggered when a certain length of the route is already treated by the application device, e.g. 0.5 length of the route. The product is in the present case an herbicide for treating weeds. The agricultural field is in the present case a continuous field where corn is grown.

[0050] In step S20 a current amount of the product in a tank of an application device for applying the product is continuously determined by a first determination unit based on a treatment savings parameter. In the present example the current amount of the herbicide in the tank of the application device is determined by a fill level sensor applied on the surface of the tank. The application device in the present example is a sprayer mounted on a tractor.

[0051] In step S30 a current position of the application device in a route through the agricultural field is continuously determined by a second determination unit. The route through the agricultural field may describe a predefined path of the agricultural device through the agricultural field and a corresponding length. The position is in the present example determined by a Global Positioning System (i.e. GPS) that is arranged at the application device. Hence, it is possible to determine the remaining length of the route or remaining area to be treated. The route may describe a random path of the agricultural device through the agricultural field. Based on the position it may be determined whether the position is already treated by the application device. Based on the current position and a previous position of the agricultural device further a driving direction of the application device may be determined. Based on the driving direction of the application device a position of the sprayer with its corresponding working width may be determined.

[0052] In step S40 the product rate and/or the frequency are continuously adapted by a adaption unit based on the current position of the application device in the route through the agricultural field and the current amount of the product in the tank of the application device such that at the end of the route of the application device through the agricultural field a predetermined amount of the product is in the tank. In the present example of weed control the fill level sensor detects to high amount of the herbicides in the tank of the agricultural device. Hence the frequency is increased by adapting a triggering threshold value for triggering the application device to apply the herbicide on the agricultural field, wherein a weed detection sensor signal is used for triggering an application of the herbicide on the agricultural field. Further the product rate of the herbicide is increased. Hence, it is possible to reduce the current amount of the tank at the end of the route to a certain amount of the product in the tank, e.g. zero. Due to possible fluctuations in the distribution of weeds over the agricultural field, from a certain remaining distance/length of the route in this example the frequency and the product rate are increased to the maximum values (i.e. a so called flat rate mode respectively higher product rate per area; e.g. in the flat rate mode it is possible to increase the frequency to a continuous output of the product and to a higher or maximum output value) to ensure complete emptying of the tank. The maximum values are predefined values for the herbicide and the corn on the agricultural field (i.e. product rate that leads to a damage of corn and/or soil and/or environment).

[0053] FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of a method for providing a treatment savings parameter, according to an embodiment. In a first step 40, location-specific sensor data from a sensor device acquired in real-time may be provided to a computing means.

[0054] The computing means may be completely or partly a part of the application device 10, or a distributed computing system and may comprise mobile devices communicatively coupled to the computing means.

[0055] In a second step 42, the location-specific sensor data may be analyzed with respect to at least one treatment indicator by the computing means.

[0056] In a third step 44, a treatment savings parameter for the treatment is provided. The treatment savings parameter characterizes the amount of treatment based on the location-specific sensor data in relation to an amount of treatment based on a reference treatment.

[0057] The treatment savings parameter can be advantageously used to support adapting product rate and/or the frequency based on the current position of the application device in the route through the agricultural field and the current amount of the product in the tank of the application device such that at the end of the route of the application device through the agricultural field a predetermined amount of the product is in the tank, preferably the predetermined amount at the end of the route is substantially zero. In particular it can be used to support the forecast calculation.

[0058] In one example, the treatment savings parameter is a comparison between a determined amount of treatment and a flat rate treatment, wherein the same amount of treatment is applied on the agricultural field. Additionally or alternatively, the reference treatment can also comprise historic data, in particular data from historic treatments.

[0059] In one exemplary embodiment, a comparison between the location-specific sensor data and a threshold is used to determine if the treatment component should be activated, for example switched between an on- and off-state. Alternatively or additionally, the strength of the activation and therefore the locally applied dosage can be controlled.

[0060] As an example, the number or density of weed present in the specific location of the agricultural field can be used. Alternatively or additionally, the number or density of cultivated crops present in the specific location of the agricultural field can be used. The threshold may be determined before the treatment based on previous available data and it may be adapted during the treatment.

[0061] The treatment savings parameter for a treatment can be defined in several ways, depending on the available data. The treatment savings parameter is a relation between data derived from in real-time acquired location-specific sensor data and reference treatment data.

[0062] In one exemplary embodiment, the treatment savings parameter can relate to a derived amount of treatment which is not to be applied, and the reference data can relate to the amount of treatment used during a flat rate treatment.

[0063] In another exemplary embodiment, the treatment savings parameter can relate to the not applied amount of treatment and the reference data can relate to the amount of treatment used during a flat rate treatment.

[0064] In FIGS. 3 to 5 a part of an agricultural field 11 is depicted, which is divided into subareas. The rows of the subareas are here labeled by capital letters A-D. A′-D′ and A″-D″, and the columns by small letters a-e, a′-e′ and a″-e″, such that a specific subarea can then be addressed by its row and column letter. The agricultural field 11 comprises exemplarily crop plants 35 and weed plants 36. The number of weed plants exemplarily depicts an amount of weed present in the subarea, such that a subarea with two weed plants 35 has a higher amount of weed than a subarea with just one weed plant 36. The depicted crop plants 35 exemplarily depicts the presence of crops. The subareas of the agricultural field 11 are divided based on the working parameters of an application device. The application device has a number of treatment components with a working width W and a working length L. The sensor device of each treatment component acquires location-specific data for each subarea in real-time and the treatment is performed based on it.

[0065] In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the treatment performed is spraying a herbicide to counter weed plants 36. The application device for spraying is an agricultural sprayer comprising a treatment component in form of a nozzle and a camera device as sensor device. Historic treatment data about spraying a herbicide to counter the weed plants 36 is present, for example in a remote database or a local storage device. In this example the treatment indicator is the presence of weed 36. The spraying is performed if the amount of weed 36 detected on the subareas is above a certain threshold. For example, the treatment component can be activated if the number of weed plants 36 present in a subarea is above two.

[0066] Therefore treatment is performed in this example on the subareas Da, Db, Cc, Bd, Cd and Ce. No treatment is performed on the subareas Aa-Ca, Ab-Cb, Ac, Bc, Dc, Ad, Dd, Ae, Be and De. From the historic treatment data it is derived that treatment was done on all subareas, a flat treatment.

[0067] The treatment savings parameter can then be determined based on the number of non-treated subareas divided by the number of treated subareas derived from the historic treatment data in real-time. To illustrate the method, treatment is performed from rows D to A and over all columns a to e at the same time. So the treatment savings parameter could start to amount from 3/5=60% after treating row D, to 5/10=50% after treating rows D and C, to 9/15=60% after treating rows D to B and to 14/20=70% after treating rows D to A. Alternatively or additionally to an accumulated treatment savings parameter, a treatment savings parameter for each row can be determined in real-time. The treatment savings parameter for row D would be 3/5=60%, for row C 2/5=40%, for row B 4/5=80% and for row A 5/5=100%.

[0068] In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the treatment performed is also spraying a herbicide to counter the weed plants 36. In this example a first treatment indicator is the presence of crop 35 and a second treatment indicator is the presence of weed 36. The spraying is performed if the amount of weed 36 detected on the subareas without crop 35 is above a first threshold and if the amount of weed 36 detected on the subareas with crop 35 is above a second threshold. For example, the treatment component can be activated if the number of weed plants 36 is above two and the no crop 35 is present and if the number of weed plants 36 is above one when crop is present.

[0069] The treatment savings parameter can then be determined for example based on the number of treatment component activations and the number of possible operations or the number of subareas, in particular from a log file generated by the application device and updated when activating, not activating and/or blocking the one or more treatment components of the application device. In this example the treatment savings parameter for row D′ could be derived in real time to 1-3/5=40%, for row C′ 1-3/5=40%, for row B′ 1-2/5=60% and for row A′ 1-5/5=100%. An accumulated treatment savings parameter for a treatment starting from row D′ to row A′ could the be derived to be 1-3/5=40% after treating row D′, 1-6/10=40% after treating rows D′ and C′, 1-8/15=46.67% after treating rows D′ to B′ and 1-13/20=70% after treating rows D′ to A′.

[0070] In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the treatment performed is also spraying a herbicide to counter the weed plants 36. In this example a first treatment indicator is the presence of crop 35 and a second treatment indicator is the presence of weed 36. The amount of spraying is here performed in a substantially continuous way based on the detected amount of weed 36. Although here the amount of weed is depicted in a stepwise manner, ranging from one to four weed plants 36, the detected amount of weed can be determined in a continuous way, for example based on a detected biomass. Herbicide can then be sprayed proportional to the detected biomass. Here, for example, the treatment component can be activated to spray a variable dosage of herbicide based on the amount of detected weed 36. In this example, a dosage of 25% is applied if the number of weed plants 36 in a subarea is one, a dosage of 50% is applied if the number of weed plants 36 in a subarea is two, a dosage of 75% is applied if the number of weed plants 36 in a subarea is three and a dosage of 100% is applied if the number of weed plants 36 in a subarea is four or higher.

[0071] In this example the treatment savings parameter for row D″ could be derived in real time to 1-(75%+75%+25%+50%+50%)/5=45%, for row C″ 1-(25%+25%+75%+100%+75%)/5=40%, for B″ 1-(0%+0%+50%+75%+0%)/5=75% and for A″ 1-(0%+50%+25%+50%+0%)/5=75%. An accumulated treatment savings parameter for a treatment starting from row D″ to row A″ could then be derived to be 45% after treating row D″, 42.5% after treating rows D″ and C″, 53.3% after treating rows D″ to B″ and 58.75% after treating rows D″ to A″.

[0072] In general, treatment savings parameter can alternatively or additionally be based on data from at least one of the following: [0073] status information of at least one treatment component, [0074] position information of at least one treatment component, [0075] area information of an area treated by at least one treatment component, [0076] area information of area to be treated by at least one treatment component, [0077] a location-specific on/off-operation of at least one treatment component, [0078] on the number of off-operations of at least one treatment component, [0079] on the number of on-operations of at least one treatment component, [0080] on the duration of off-operations of at least one treatment component, [0081] on the duration of on-operations of at least one treatment component, [0082] an aggregation for different positions on the agricultural field during operation of at least one treatment component, [0083] reference information based on at least one of the following: [0084] a non-location-specific application of the treatment, [0085] a non-location-specific application of at least one treatment component, [0086] a non-location-specific application per treatment component, [0087] a non-location-specific application per position information.

[0088] Additionally or alternatively, historic data can be used to compare the real-time treatment with a historic treatment or data from a treatment of another agricultural field can be used to compare with the actual treatment.

[0089] Data used for the treatment savings parameter can come from the processed real-time location-specific sensor data, such as from a determined location-specific amount of treatment or from control data, but also for example from machine data, external sources, such as external databases, or from other sensor devices, for example a tank sensor.

[0090] In a further embodiment the treatment savings parameter is stored on a storage device. This way applied maps can be recorded by storing the time, treatment savings parameter corresponding to such time, the position corresponding to such time and optionally the activation signal information coming from control data corresponding to such time. As a result, the data collected during operation can be stored and used after operation for further analysis.

[0091] Here the real or determined treatment may be recorded optionally together with the activation signal including the information on which treatment component was triggered when with which activation signal. In this way the treatment savings parameter can be provided for further use, for example for another treatment, another type of treatment or another application device as input for a treatment.

[0092] FIG. 6 depicts exemplarily a display output of a display, operatively coupled with an application device performing the methods provided above. On display 60 information is provided: [0093] about the agricultural field 62, [0094] about at least one treatment indicator 64, [0095] about the progress of the treatment 66, [0096] the treatment savings parameter 68 in real time and/or accumulated, and [0097] about the forecast of the product and/or tank fill 69

[0098] The displayed information may be updated in real-time or at a specific frequency, for example 1 Hz. Exemplarily, the treatment savings parameter 68 can be updated based on the provided treatment savings parameter or the information about the agricultural field 62 based on location data.

[0099] Additionally, the display output may be modified based on external input, especially on input from a human-machine interface, for example from an operator of the application device. For example, a treatment indicator or other performance parameter may be modified based on external input.

[0100] FIG. 7 shows an example of the treatment device 17. It is noted that FIG. 7 is merely a schematic, illustrating main components, wherein the treatment device 17 may comprise more or less components than actually shown. In particular, the treatment device 17, e.g. its fluidic set up as shown, may comprise more components, such as dosing or feed pumps, mixing units, buffer tanks or volumes, distributed line feeds from multiple tanks, back flow, cyclic recovery or cleaning arrangements, different types of valves like check valves, ½ or ⅔ way valves and so on. Also different fluidic set ups and mixing arrangements may be chosen. The present disclosure is, however, applicable to all fluidic setups.

[0101] The treatment device 17 shown in FIG. 7 is part of the application device for applying the treatment product on the agricultural field 11 or on one or more subareas thereof. The treatment device 17 may be releasably attached or directly mounted to the application device. In at least some embodiments, the treatment device 17 comprises a boom with multiple treatment components 21, here spray nozzles 21 arranged along the boom of the treatment device 17.

[0102] The spray nozzles 21 may be fixed or may be attached movable along the boom in regular or irregular intervals. Each spray nozzle 21 may arranged together with one or more, preferably separately, controllable valves 38 regulate fluid release from the spray nozzles 21 to the agricultural field 11.

[0103] One or more tank(s) 23, 24, 25 are in fluid communication with the nozzles 21 through one or more fluidic lines 26, which distribute the one or more treatment products as released from the tanks 23, 24, 25 to the spray nozzles 21. This may include chemically active or inactive ingredients like a treatment product or mixture, individual ingredients of a treatment product or mixture, a selective treatment product for specific weeds, a fungicide, a fungicide or mixture, ingredients of a fungicide mixture, ingredients of a plant growth regulator or mixture, a plant growth regulator, water, oil, or any other treatment product. Each tank 23, 24, 25 may further comprise a controllable valve (not shown) to regulate fluid release from the tank 23, 24, 25 to fluid lines 26. Such arrangement allows to control the treatment product or mixture released to the agricultural field 11 in a targeted manner depending on the conditions determined for the agricultural field 11.

[0104] For monitoring and/or detecting, the application device and/or the treatment device 17 may comprise a sensor system 30 with sensor devices 31 arranged along e.g. the boom. The sensor devices 31 may be arranged fixed or movable along the boom in regular or irregular intervals. The sensor devices 31 are configured to sense one or more conditions of the agricultural field, for example plants 34 or insects. The sensor devices 31 may be an optical sensor device 31 providing an image of the field. Suitable optical sensor devices 31 are multispectral cameras, stereo cameras, IR cameras, CCD cameras, hyperspectral cameras, ultrasonic or LIDAR (light detection and ranging system) cameras. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor devices 31 comprise further sensors to measure humidity, light, temperature, wind or any other suitable condition on the agricultural field 11.

[0105] In at least some embodiments, the sensor devices 31 may be arranged perpendicular to the movement direction of the treatment device 17 and in front of the nozzles 21 (seen from drive direction). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the sensor devices 31 are optical sensor devices and each sensor device 31 is associated with a single nozzle 21 such that the field of view comprises or at least overlaps with the spray profile of the respective nozzle 21 on the field once the nozzle reach the respective position. In other arrangements each sensor device 31 may be associated with more than one nozzle 21 or more than one sensor device 31 may be associated with each nozzle 21.

[0106] The sensor devices 31, the tank valves and/or the nozzle valves 38 are communicatively coupled to a control unit 32. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 32 is located in a main treatment device housing 22 and wired to the respective components. In another embodiment sensor devices 31, the tank valves or the nozzle valves 38 may be wirelessly connected to the control unit 32. In yet another embodiment more than one control unit 32 may be distributed in the treatment device housing 22 or the application device and communicatively coupled to sensor devices 31, the tank valves or the nozzle valves 38. The control unit 32 may be configured to control and/or monitor the sensor devices 31, the tank valves or the nozzle valves 38 based on control data a control file, a parameter set and/or following a control protocol. In this respect, the control unit 32 may comprise multiple electronic modules. One module for instance may control the sensor devices 31 to collect data such as an image of the agricultural field 11. A further module may analyse the collected data such as the image to derive parameters for the tank or nozzle valve control. Yet further module(s) may control the tank valves and/or nozzle valves 38 based on such derived parameters.

[0107] In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor device may comprise a fluid sensor operatively coupled with the fluidic lines 26. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor device may alternatively or additionally comprise a tank sensor for a tank of the application device.

[0108] FIG. 8 shows a general overview of a system 12 that is configured for treatment on or at an agricultural field 11, at or on which e.g. crops are to be cultivated. The agricultural field 11 may to be treated by use of a treatment product, which may also be referred to as an agrochemical, e.g. an herbicide, pesticide, insecticide, fungicide, or the like. Further, the agricultural field 11, may be any plant or crop cultivation field, such as a field, a greenhouse, or the like, at a geo-referenced location. As indicated in FIG. 2 by interlines, the agricultural field 11 may optionally be divided into two or more subareas.

[0109] The system 12 may comprise or form a distributed computing environment. It may comprise one or more of an application device 10, a first computing resource or means 14, a second computing resource or means 16, and a third computing resource or means 18. The application device 10 and/or the first, second and third computing means 14, 16, 18, may at least partly be remote to each other. At least some of the application device 10 and the first, the second and the third computing means 14, 16, 18 may comprise one or more of a data processing unit, a memory, a data interface, a communication interface, etc. Within the system 12, the application device 10 and the first, the second and the third computing means 14, 16, 18 may be configured to communicate with each other via communication means, such as a communications network, as indicated in FIG. 2 by dashed lines between the entities 10, 14, 16, 18. The application device may also be referred to as a smart farming machinery. The application device 10 may be e.g. a vehicle, such as a tractor or the like, an aircraft, a robot, a smart sprayer, or the like, and may be configured to be operated, for example, computer-aided, by a remote control and/or at least semi-autonomous. The application device 10 may, for example, comprise and/or carry a treatment device 17, which may be e.g. a spraying device for application of a treatment product as described above.

[0110] The first computing means 14 may be a data management system configured to send data to the application device 10 and/or to receive data from application device 10. For example, the data received from the application device 10 may comprise one or maps, such as a growth distribution map, a weed distribution map, or the like, which may be generated and/or provided based on data recorded during operation of the application device 10 and/or application of the treatment product at or on the agricultural field 11.

[0111] The second computing means 16 may be a field management system configured to generate and/or provide a control parameter set, which may comprise one or more of control data for operating the application device 10, a control protocol, an activation code, a set of threshold adjustments or a basic threshold, a decision logic to the application device 10, and/or to receive data from the application device 10. Such data may also be provided and/or received through the first computing means 14. The third computing means 18 may be a client computer configured to receive client data from and/or to provide data to at least the second computing means 16 and/or the application device 10. Such client data may, for example, comprise an application schedule for the treatment product to be applied on a specific agricultural area by operating the application device 10.

[0112] Additionally or alternatively, the client data may comprise field analysis data to provide insights into the health state, weed information, plant or crop information, geo-location data, or the like, of a specific agricultural area.

[0113] Further, when data is monitored, collected and/or recorded by the application device 10, such data may be distributed to one or more of, or even to every, computing means 14, 16, 18 of the distributed computing environments.

[0114] The present disclosure has been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment as examples as well. However, other variations can be understood and effected by those persons skilled in the art and practicing the claimed invention, from the studies of the drawings, this disclosure and the claims. Notably, in particular the steps S10 to S40 can be performed in any order, i.e. the present invention is not limited to a specific order of these steps. Moreover, it is also not required that the different steps are performed at a certain place or at one place, i.e. each of the steps may be performed at a different place using different equipment/data processing units. As used herein “determining” also includes “initiating or causing to determine”, “generating” also includes “initiating or causing to generate” and “providing” also includes “initiating or causing to determine, generate, select, send or receive”. “Initiating or causing to perform an action” includes any processing signal that triggers a computing means to perform the respective action. In the claims as well as in the description the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several entities or items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in the mutual different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used in an advantageous implementation.