PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING AGRICULTURAL MEASURES

Abstract

The present invention relates to the planning and implementation of agricultural measures using remote sensing data and local field data.

Using remote sensors, the total required amount and partial-area-specific required amounts of plant protection agents and/or nutrients and/or seeds and/or the like can be determined, and based on this information, the use of an application device can be planned. Using local field sensors, the current local required amounts in the field are determined so that the application device can apply the corresponding amounts as required.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method comprising the steps of: receiving at least one digital image of a field for crop plants, wherein the at least one digital image has been generated by means of one or a plurality of remote sensors, planning a partial-area-specific agricultural measure in the field based on the digital image of the field and providing means for partial-area-specific implementation of the measure, and carrying out the measure, wherein during the implementation of the measure by means of one or a plurality of sensors, one or a plurality of current local parameters is/are recorded over the field, and implementation of the measure is continuously adapted to the current local parameter(s).

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein planning of the partial-area-specific agricultural measure comprises the following steps: determining a requirement of at least a portion of the field and/or the cultivated crop plants for one or a plurality of agricultural measures selected from the following list: cultivating the soil, application of seeds, treatment with one or a plurality of plant protection agents, application of nutrients, and watering, determining the total amount required to meet the determined requirement, wherein the total amount is determined based on the at least one digital image, and providing the means for implementation of the agricultural measure based on the total amount determined.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein planning of the partial-area-specific agricultural measure further comprises the following step: determining the partial-area-specific amounts required to meet the determined requirement.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein planning of the partial-area-specific agricultural measure further comprises the following step: specifying the route of one or a plurality of apparatuses through or over the field for implementing the agricultural measure based on the total amount determined and/or the partial-area-specific required amounts.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the digital image is a satellite image.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein a pest infestation has been detected or a pest infestation is imminent in the field and there is therefore a requirement for treatment with a plant protection agent.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein a nutrient deficit has been detected or a nutrient deficit has been predicted in the field, and there is therefore a requirement for treatment with one or a plurality of nutrients.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein there is a requirement for spreading seeds in the field.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the partial-area-specific required amount depends on the amount of biomass present in the field, which is derived based on a vegetation index from the at least one digital image.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the partial-area-specific required amount depends on the size of the leaf areas present, which is derived from a leaf area index from the at least one digital image.

26. The method according to claim 18, wherein based on the partial-area-specific required amounts, a digital application map is prepared, which is updated and/or refined using the local parameters in implementing the agricultural measure.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one digital image of the field is used to predict the state of the field for the period of the planned agricultural measure, wherein the predicted state is used to plan the agricultural measure.

28. A system comprising: a first computer system, configured such that the first computer system receives at least one digital image of a field for crop plants, wherein the at least one digital image has been generated using one or a plurality of remote sensors, and the first computer system supports a user, based on the digital image of the field, in planning a partial-area-specific agricultural measure in the field, wherein the computer system determines means that must be provided for the partial-area-specific implementation of the measure, and a second computer system, configured such that the second computer system determines the current local state of the field in implementation of the measure by means of one or a plurality of sensors and adapts implementation of the measure to the current local state.

29. The system according to claim 28, further comprising at least one application device, which is configured such that it moves through and/or over the field while applying the current local required amounts, and/or at least one sensor for detecting local conditions in the field.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the second computer system component is the at least one application device and/or the at least one sensor moves in and/or over the field together with the at least one application device.

Description

[0153] In the following, the invention is described in further detail by means of examples and figures, but with no intention of reducing the invention to the features or combinations of features mentioned in the examples.

[0154] FIGS. 1 and 2 serve to clarify the present invention.

[0155] FIG. 1 is a schematic image of a field for crop plants. The large square with the checkerboard pattern represents the field. The checkerboard pattern illustrates the spatial resolution of the image. It is largely determined by the resolution of the remote sensor used.

[0156] An application device in the form of a tractor is shown in the upper left corner of the field. The tractor is equipped with a field sensor (no field sensor is shown in the figure). The field sensor has a higher resolution than the remote sensor used for producing the image (recognizable by the smaller checkerboard pattern). However, the range of the field sensor is limited to the environment of the application device. By combining the information from the remote sensor and the field sensor, an agricultural measure can be planned and carried out in a partial-area-specific manner.

[0157] However, FIG. 1 is not to be understood as indicating that the remote sensor and field sensor detect the same parameter, only with a different resolution. As already mentioned in several locations of the present text, the remote sensor and field sensor can detect different parameters respectively; for example, a remote sensor can use a first parameter to recognize the requirement for treatment of the field with a plant protection agent, while the field sensor can use a second parameter to determine the local currently required amounts. The remote sensor covers the entire field, while the field sensor covers only a local area.

[0158] FIG. 2 is a schematic image of field for crop plants at different points in time t=0 and t<0 for two scenarios a) and b).

[0159] Scenario a) relates to the case in which a satellite image of the field is available for a current point in time (t=0). As explained for FIG. 1, the image, which originates from the satellite, shows a lower spatial resolution (black and white checkerboard pattern in the large square) than an area (upper left corner) that is covered by a field sensor (not shown) attached to a tractor. As information on the state of the field is available for the current time (t=0), this information can be linked according to the invention, and an agricultural measure can thus be planned and carried out in a partial-area-specific manner.

[0160] It should be noted that the time point t=0 is not really a point in the mathematical sense. Rather, this refers to a period that begins before the period in which the agricultural measure is carried out. The period t=0 can completely or partially comprise the period of the agricultural measure. What is decisive is that within this period t=0, the parameters detected by the remote sensor must not change to a significant extent. It is conceivable that the data provided by the remote sensor are produced one week or several days or one day and several hours or one hour before the beginning of the agricultural measure.

[0161] Scenario b) relates to the case in which for a current point in time (t=0), no satellite image is available for the field. In order to allow an agricultural measure according to the invention to be planned and carried out despite this, a satellite image produced at an earlier point in time (t<0) is used. Between the time points t<0 and t=0, so much time has elapsed that the field has changed. The parameters detected by the remote sensor at time point t<0 show clear differences from the parameters detected at time point t=0. By means of a prediction models (e.g. a plant growth model), the state of the field at time point t=0 is calculated from the state of the field at time point t<0 so that the information required for planning an agricultural measure is present in the spatial resolution of the earlier satellite image (represented by a grey checkerboard pattern).

[0162] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an infestation with harmful organisms has been observed in the field for crop plants. In order to prevent the harmful organisms from spreading, the entire field is to be treated with a plant protection agent for controlling the harmful organisms. The amounts of plant protection agents to be applied are to be adapted to the respective sizes of the leaf area of the crop plants.

[0163] By means of a first computer system, a digital image of the field is received by a corresponding vendor. The digital image is a satellite image based on which a leaf area index is calculated for each pixel of the satellite image.

[0164] A plant protection agent is selected that is known to effectively control the harmful organisms.

[0165] The calculated leaf area indices are used to calculate the respective optimum amount of the plant protection agent for each pixel of the digital image. For this purpose, specifications of the manufacturer that provide information on the amount of plant protection agent to be applied per unit leaf area present can be used. The required amounts calculated for the individual pixels constitute an application map.

[0166] In addition, the total required amount of plant protection agents is detected in order to supply this amount in a following step.

[0167] A period is planned in which the plant protection agent is to be applied. Weather data and weather forecast data are used to identify a period that is in the near future (in order to prevent further spreading of the harmful organisms and thus damage to the crop plants), but in which no precipitation is expected and which is followed by a period of at least one day in which also no precipitation is expected, so that the plant protection agent can exert its action without first being washed away.

[0168] When the period for the planned agricultural measure has been reached, a mobile application device carrying the plant protection agent is sent on the way through the field. The application device is equipped with a field sensor that covers the immediate environment in front of the application device (in the direction of movement) in order to determine the local leaf size. The respective amounts of the plant protection agent dispensed are adapted to the locally detected leaf size.

[0169] In a further preferred embodiment, the crop plants cultivated in a field are to be supplied with nutrients. Only those crop plants are to be supplied that have reached or exceeded a specified growth threshold. It is not worthwhile to supply nutrients to crop plants whose growth stage is below the threshold value.

[0170] A digital image is received in the form of a satellite image, and a vegetation index for each individual pixel is calculated based thereon.

[0171] The vegetation indices are used to determine for each pixel whether the growth threshold has been reached, exceeded, or not reached.

[0172] The amount of nutrients required to supply the plants that have reached or exceeded the growth threshold is calculated.

[0173] Using the distribution of the plants to be supplied, the shortest route required by an application device to apply nutrients, and optionally to provide a resupply in the interim, is calculated.

[0174] The required amount of nutrients is provided and loaded into an application device that is equipped with a field sensor. While the application device moves through the field, the field sensor detects a local vegetation index in order to locally determine which crop plants have reached or exceeded a growth threshold. The identified crop plants are supplied with nutrients. Those crop plants that have not exceeded the growth threshold are not supplied with nutrients.

[0175] Combinations of the aforementioned embodiments and further embodiments are conceivable.