METHOD FOR PEST CONTROL

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of controlling harmful organisms in the cultivation of cultivated plants. The present invention relates to a method for controlling harmful organisms, to a system for controlling harmful organisms and to the use of a digital application map for the application of one or more control agents against harmful organisms.

Claims

1.-18. (canceled)

19. A method for controlling harmful organisms on a field on which cultivated plants are cultivated, which method comprises the following steps: (A) generating a digital harmful-organisms distribution map on which subareas on the field are registered, in which subareas the harmful organisms have been detected directly or indirectly; (B) generating a digital application map on the basis of the digital weeds distribution map, it being registered on the digital application map those subareas of the field on which subareas one or more control agents against the harmful organisms are to be applied, it being registered for each of said subareas a number N of treatments with one or more control agents, where N is greater than 1; (C) applying one or more control agents against the harmful organisms as per the digital application map from step (B), the number N for the treated subareas being reduced by 1; (D) repeating step (C) for each subarea until N has reached for the value zero.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein those subareas of the field in which subareas harmful organisms have been detected directly or indirectly in step (A) and in which subareas an economic threshold has been reached or exceeded are incorporated into the digital application map.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein there is incorporation into the digital application map in step (B) of those subareas of the field in which subareas there has been detection in step (A) of nests with harmful organisms that have survived after an application of one or more control agents.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the harmful organisms are weeds and/or grass weeds and the one or more control agents are one or more herbicides.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the harmful organisms are animal pests, and in which one or the plurality of control agent(s) are pesticides.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the number N in the generation of the digital application map is set to two, three or four.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein a digital harmful-organisms distribution map is generated again as per step (A) after an effected application of one or more control agents to the subareas concerned, and additions are made in step (B) in the existing digital application map to those regions in which harmful organisms have been detected in the new digital harmful-organisms distribution map, the subareas in which N has not yet reached the value zero remaining in force and subareas in which N has reached the value zero being deleted.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein the control of the harmful organisms with a control agent is accompanied by a physical control or in that a physical control of the harmful organisms takes place at least in part of the regions of the field in which regions harmful organisms have been detected, but in which regions no economic threshold has been exceeded.

27. A digital application map on which subareas of a field for cultivated plants are registered, which subareas are to be treated with one or more control agents against harmful organisms, wherein for each of these subareas an integer N is registered, which specifies how many times the subarea is to be treated with one or more control agents for the harmful organisms, where N is greater than 1.

28. The digital application map according to claim 27, wherein it is registered on the application map those subareas in which a harmful organism has reached or exceeded an economic threshold.

29. The digital application map according to claim 27, wherein the harmful organisms are weeds and/or grass weeds and the one or more control agents are one or more herbicides.

30. The digital application map according to claim 27, wherein the harmful organisms are animal pests, and in which one or more control agents are pesticides.

31. The digital application map according to claim 27, wherein the harmful organisms are fungi, and in which one or more control agents are fungicides.

32. The digital application map according to claim 27, in which subareas to be treated N times with one or more control agents have been incorporated at a point in time at which at least one of the subareas already existing in the digital application map has been treated at least once with one or more control agents.

33. A system for controlling harmful organisms, comprising: (a) a digital application map on which those subareas of a field which are to be treated with one or more control agents for the harmful organisms are registered; (b) a position determination system; (c) an application device comprising at least one container for accommodating at least one control agent against the harmful organisms, a spray device for applying the at least one control agent, and a control unit comprising a memory for reading in the digital application map, means for communicating with the position determination system and means for controlling the spray device, wherein a number N is registered on the digital application map for each of the subareas, which number specifies how many times a treatment of the subarea with the control agent is to take place, where N is greater than 1, and where the control unit is equipped in such a way that the number N is reduced by one after a treatment has taken place.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the harmful organisms are weeds and/or grass weeds and the one or more control agents are one or more herbicides.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the control unit starts the application of at least one control agent by means of the spray device when the position determination system signals that the application device is situated at a site at which the application of the at least one control agent is envisaged according to the digital application map.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

[0084] Weed 1 and weed 2 are sensitive to herbicide 1Herbicide 1 is applied.

EXAMPLE 2

[0085] Weed 1 is sensitive to herbicide 1 and weed 2 is sensitive to herbicide 2 and there is no known usable herbicide which acts against both weed 1 and weed 2.fwdarw.Herbicide 1 and herbicide 2 are applied.

EXAMPLE 3

[0086] Weed 1 is sensitive to herbicide 1 and weed 2 is sensitive to herbicide 2 and there is a known usable herbicide 3 which acts against weed 1 and weed 2.fwdarw.It is possible to apply either herbicide 3 alone or herbicide 1 in combination with herbicide 2.

[0087] For example, the following control agents are used in controlling the grass weed slender meadow foxtail: during the autumn use from BBCH stage11, a sulphonyl mixture consisting of the active substances mesosulfuron and iodosulforon (preferably plus safener) is used. With a change of active substances, propoxycarbazone or pyroxsulam and florasulam are then used. When, in spring, the grass weed repeatedly exceeds the economic threshold, a treatment with, for example, the active substances mesosulfuron and iodosulforon (plus safener) is then also carried out in spring. Besides the group of the ALS inhibitors, there is also another active-substance group, that of the ACCase inhibitors with the so-called FOPS. The nature of the active substance and the application quantity depend on the species of the weed or grass weed, the number of plants per m.sup.2 or biomass of the weed or grass weed and the degree of resistance.

[0088] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the digital application map contains commands for an application device for a control agent formulations. This means that the digital application map or parts thereof can be loaded into a memory of an application device, and from there the commands are transmitted to a spray device.

[0089] An application device is understood to mean an automated device for applying a control agent formulation to a field. Such an application device generally comprises at least one container for accommodating at least one control agent formulation, a spray device by means of which the control agent formulation is dispensed on the field, and a control unit by means of which the transport of the at least one control agent formulation from its container in the direction of the spray device is controlled. The digital application map is accordingly preferably saved in the memory of the control unit. Furthermore, the control unit is preferably connected to a position determination system which determines the position of the application device on the field. Preferably, the control unit sets in motion the application process when it is registered on the digital application map that an application is to take place at one site and when the position determination system reports that the application device is currently situated at said site.

[0090] In a next step of the method according to the invention, the application of one or more control agents against the harmful organisms identified in step (A) takes place using the digital application map.

[0091] In one embodiment, a person (user) loads the digital application map into a mobile computer system, for example a mobile telephone (smartphone), which has a GPS receiver. While the user walks across the field, the mobile computer system displays to said user, by means of a graphic image of the field, where said user is currently situated and at which spots said user is to manually spray (apply) one or more control agents. Said user then manually sprays at the spots at which the application map contains relevant information. If the user applies a control agent at one spot, it is conceivable that a notification about the effected application process is transmitted to the mobile computer system via an appropriate sensor system and the effected application process is saved. It is also conceivable that the effected application process is displayed on the mobile computer system, so that the user can identify at which spots said user has already applied. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the data recorded on the mobile computer system are transmitted at once or at a later time to a stationary computer system (e.g. a server) and are saved therein. In any case, the effected application for each subarea is recorded in the digital application map such that the number N of applications (treatments) which are (still) to be effected is decreased by one.

[0092] It is also conceivable that a person with a vehicle drives across the field, the current position of the vehicle is recorded by means of a GPS receiver, and commands are transmitted to a spray device on the vehicle on the basis of the digital application map when the vehicle is situated at a site on the field at which an application of one or more control agents is to take place as per the application map, whereupon the corresponding application takes place automatically.

[0093] It is also conceivable that the application of one or more control agents takes place in a fully automated manner: a machine without a human controller moves with GPS assistance across the field and applies at the spots on the field at which spots a relevant application is envisaged in the digital application map. Again, the effected application is registered in the digital application map: for the treated subareas, the number N is decreased by one.

[0094] The control of harmful organisms with appropriate chemical and/or biological plant protectants can be supplemented by physical/mechanical control methods.

[0095] Physical removal (or else mechanical removal) is understood to mean that, for example, the weed/grass weed as harmful organism is either completely removed, or parts thereof are removed with the result that the weed/grass weed is no longer viable and dies. In contrast to the control of the weed/grass weed with a herbicide, it being possible to refer to this as chemical control, no chemical or biological means is applied in physical/mechanical control. Therefore, physical/mechanical control also does not exert a selection pressure on the weeds/grass weeds, but is frequently more complicated and more expensive than the application of herbicides.

[0096] A physical/mechanical control is also to be understood to mean, for example, an irrigation by means of which, for example, weeds are brought to sprout, this being desired, in order to then eliminate them specifically. Moreover, a physical/mechanical control is also to be understood to mean a flame treatment of the harmful organisms.

[0097] It is, for example, conceivable to apply chemical and physical methods in an alternating manner.

[0098] It is also conceivable to treat part of an area chemically and another part physically.

[0099] Also conceivable is, however, a combined variant in one operation, for example when the use of chemicals is limited owing to legal regulations or there is a combination of harmful organisms in which a combined control using mechanical and chemical means has the best chances of success. The combined use of physical and chemical methods may also be meaningful when the combination exerts a synergistic effect.

[0100] In a preferred embodiment, a physical removal of the harmful organism takes place at the spots of the field at which spots no economic threshold of a harmful organism has been exceeded, but at which spots a harmful organism has been detected.

[0101] The application of one or more control agents on the basis of the digital application map takes up a certain amount of time. Said time is, for example, determined by the size of the field, the number of spots in the field at which spots an application is to take place, the size of said spots, and the quantity of control agent that an application device can carry (in some circumstances, the quantity of control agent that an application device can carry is insufficient for supplying all the spots registered on the application map with control agent, making it necessary for the application device to be filled once or multiple times, this taking up time).

[0102] Working through the application map is understood to mean the process in which all spots in the field for which spots it is registered on the digital application map that one or more control agents are to be applied have been visited by an application device and the relevant application has been performed.

[0103] If the application map is being worked through the first time after it has been created, said process is referred to here as first application.

[0104] Generally, working through the digital application map will take up from less than one day up to 2 weeks depending on the size of the field.

[0105] The duration of the first work-through therefore occurs within a first period.

[0106] It is essential to the invention that the digital application map is worked through at least a second time. The nests registered on the application map are thus sprayed multiple times (e.g. 2 times, 3 times, 4 times or 5 times) with a control agent.

[0107] Therefore, step (C) of the method according to the invention is followed by a step (D) in which spraying is carried out again to the same sites on the application map within a second period (second work-through of the application map).

[0108] It is conceivable that the same application map is worked through a third time within a third period.

[0109] It is conceivable that the same application map is worked through a fourth time within a fourth period.

[0110] A further repeated work-through is conceivable, but any further work-through taking place after the third work-through is less likely.

[0111] Steps (C) and (D) can therefore also be subsumed under the point: multiple use of the digital application map generated in step (B) such that one or more control agents are applied multiple times (N times) at the subareas of the field at which subareas an economic threshold of one or more harmful organisms has been exceeded (even if no more harmful organism is detected at the time of application).

[0112] As described above, the application map can be extended at any time by incorporating newly detected nests.

[0113] Between the first work-through of the application map within the first period (step (C)) and the second work-through of the application map within the second period (step (D)) is a period in which there is no application of a control agent. Said period is at least one day, preferably at least one week, even more preferably at least one month. If the application map is worked through a third time in a third period, there is again, between the second period and the third period, a period of at least one day, preferably at least one week, even more preferably at least one month, in which period there is no application.

[0114] A similar consideration applies to any further work-through of the application map.

[0115] The interval between two treatments of a subarea is substantially determined by when a renewed appearance of harmful organisms is expected. A subarea is thus preferably only treated a further time when a renewed appearance of harmful organisms is expected, particularly preferably before a renewed infestation of the subarea with the harmful organisms spreads further to other subareas.

[0116] The multiple (at least twice) work-through of the application map is preferably done over the current vegetation year and/or following vegetation year, in each case within the time period of the pre-sprouting phase to the end of the vegetation period of the cultivated plant which is cultivated on the field.

[0117] Pre-sprouting phase is considered here to be the time period from the first day after harvest of the previous crop up to the last day before the sprouting of the crop.

[0118] In one embodiment of the present invention, the period between two applications corresponds to the duration of a vegetation period of the cultivated plant that is cultivated (plus/minus 1 day to 8 weeks).

[0119] Preferably, an extended digital harmful-organisms distribution map is created each year on the agriculturally used field, firstly in order to check the population of harmful organisms, and secondly in order to adapt the digital application map by optionally incorporating newly added sites at which an economic threshold has been exceeded.

[0120] In particular with the effective control of, for example, weeds/grass weeds, the invention leads to a lower development of resistances: [0121] The resistance pressure of a field with subarea-specific application is altogether lower than on an area without subarea-specific application, since precisely only part of the area of the field is exposed to the selection pressure. [0122] The application of the same quantity or concentration of a herbicide to a subarea as also in the case of non-subarea-specific application avoids so-called multigenic resistances, which otherwise build up quantitatively with repeated spraying at low doses. This is in line with good agricultural practice. [0123] Owing to repeated use of the application map, the survival of single individuals of weeds/grass weeds becomes less likely on the identified patches of the weed identification map. An annual creation of the map checks this situation and thus counteracts a resistance on non-treated subareas. [0124] The use of various herbicides increases the success of treatment and thus reduces the development of resistances to a certain spray.

[0125] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are in particular:

[0126] 1. A method for controlling weeds and/or grass weeds on a field on which cultivated plants are cultivated, comprising the following steps: [0127] (A) generating a digital weeds distribution map on which sites on the field are registered, at which sites the weeds and/or the grass weeds have been detected; [0128] (B) generating a digital application map on the basis of the digital weeds distribution map, it being registered on the digital application map those sites on the field at which sites an economic threshold of one or more weeds and/or grass weeds has been exceeded and at which sites one or more herbicides against the weeds and/or grass weeds are to be applied; [0129] (C) a first application of one or more herbicides against the weeds and/or grass weeds using the digital application map from step (B); [0130] (D) at least a further application of one or more herbicides against the weeds and/or grass weeds using the digital application map from step (B).

[0131] 2. The method according to embodiment 1, wherein the number of applications of one or more herbicides on the basis of the digital application map from step (B) is two, three or four.

[0132] 3. The method according to either of embodiments 1 and 2, wherein a digital weeds distribution map is generated again as per step (A) after an application of one or more herbicides and an addition is made in step (B) in the existing digital application map to those regions in which economic thresholds of one or more weeds and/or grass weeds have been exceeded in the new digital weeds distribution map.

[0133] 4. The method according to any of embodiments 1, 2 and 3, wherein a mechanical removal of weeds and/or grass weeds or parts thereof takes place at least in part of the regions of the field in which regions weeds and/or grass weeds have been detected, but in which regions no economic threshold has been exceeded.

[0134] 5. The method according to any of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein, in the digital application map, a number for the multiple applications of one or more herbicides is registered for each site in which an economic threshold of a weed/grass weed has been reached or exceeded, the number being reduced by one with each effected application until all planned applications have been effected and the sites are removed from the application map.

[0135] 6. A system for controlling weeds and/or grass weeds, comprising: [0136] (a) a digital weeds distribution map on which sites on a field, on which cultivated plants are cultivated are registered, at which sites weeds and/or the grass weeds, have been detected; [0137] (b) a digital application map on which those sites on the field, at which sites an economic threshold has been exceeded for the detected weeds and/or grass weeds, are registered; [0138] (c) a position determination system; [0139] (d) an application device comprising [0140] at least one container for accommodating at least one herbicide formulation, [0141] a spray device for applying the herbicide formulation, and [0142] a control unit having a memory for reading in the digital application map, a connection to the position determination system, and means for controlling the spray device.

[0143] 7. The system according to embodiment 6, wherein the control unit starts the application of at least one herbicide formulation by means of the spray device when the position determination system signals that the application device is situated at a site at which the application of the at least one herbicide formulation is envisaged according to the digital application map.

[0144] 8. The system according to either of embodiments 6 and 7, wherein, in the digital application map, a number for the multiple applications of one or more herbicides is registered for each site in which an economic threshold of a weed/grass weed has been reached or exceeded, the number specifying how many applications must still be effected at the site.

[0145] 9. Use of a digital application map on which sites on a field are registered, at which sites an economic threshold of one or more weeds and/or grass weeds has been exceeded,

for the multiple application of one or more herbicides against the weeds and/or grass weeds,
wherein a plurality of applications is inputted in the application map for each site for which an economic threshold of a weed/grass weed has been exceeded, the number being reduced by one with each effected application.

[0146] The invention will be more particularly elucidated below on the basis of an example.

[0147] FIG. 1 shows different representations of a field at various points in time t.sub.1 to t.sub.6. The representations of the field are depicted as a rectangle. The top row labelled with U1 is a weed distribution map for the weed U1. The middle row labelled with U2 is a weed distribution map for the weed U2. The bottom row labelled with A is an application map for two different herbicides H1 and H2.

[0148] Time is divided into six snapshots t.sub.1 to t.sub.6. In this connection, time advances column by column from left to right.

[0149] Therefore, the first column depicts the field at a first point in time, the second column depicts the field at a later second point in time, and so on. The periods which lie between two columns can, for example, be the duration of a vegetation period (generally one year) of the cultivated plant which is cultivated on the field. The period can also be the vegetation period of a weed/grass weed. In general, the application of one or more herbicides has taken place in the time period lying between two successive columnsthis is depicted in the bottom row Aunless no weeds were detected over multiple time segments (last column).

[0150] In the top row, it is depicted where in the field at the points in time t.sub.1 to t.sub.6 the weed U1 has been detected.

[0151] Fields U1(t.sub.1), U1(t.sub.2), U1(t.sub.3), U1(t.sub.4), U1(t.sub.5) and U1(t.sub.6) therefore represent weeds distribution maps with regard to weed U1. Analogously, fields U2(t.sub.1), U2(t.sub.2), U2(t.sub.3), U2(t.sub.4), U2(t.sub.5) and U2(t.sub.6) represent weeds distribution maps with regard to weed U2. The distributions of weeds 1 and 2 could also have been pooled in a single distribution map, but they are depicted here separately.

[0152] At point in time t.sub.1, a weed U1 was identified in the field; weed U1 was present in the form of a circular region (=subarea) (see U1(t.sub.1)).

[0153] At the same point in time t.sub.1, there was no weed U2 in the field (see U2(t.sub.1).

[0154] An application map A(t.sub.1) was created from weeds distribution maps U1(t.sub.1) and U2(t.sub.1). Since only weed U1 was detected on the field, application map A(t.sub.1) also contains only information and instructions with regard to weed U1. In application map A(t.sub.1), a circular region is marked with hatching, in which region weed U1 was detected in U1(t.sub.1). In said region, it is intended that herbicide H1 be applied. The numeral 3 above the hatched region indicates that this subarea is to be treated a total of three times (N=3) with herbicide H1.

[0155] At a later point in time after the application of herbicide H1, it can be seen in U1 (t.sub.2) that weed U 1 is clearly no longer to be detected in the prior circular region; the application of herbicide H1 was clearly successful. However, a crescent region next to the previous circular region has evolved instead, in which crescent region weed U1 was detected. Thus, weed U1 has shifted right in the field.

[0156] In addition, a weed U2 has appeared (see U2(t.sub.2)). These findings yield application map A(t.sub.2). First of all, A(t.sub.2) shows that herbicide H1 is to be further applied in the circular region in which weed U1 was detected in U1(t.sub.1), even though it was no longer detected in U1(t.sub.2). This is precisely the core of the present invention: application map A(t.sub.1) is used/worked through multiple times. The numeral 2 above the hatched region indicates that this subarea is to be treated twice more (N=31=2) with herbicide H1.

[0157] Application map A(t.sub.1) has been extended to A(t.sub.2) on the basis of the findings in U1(t.sub.2) and U2(t.sub.2). Since a crescent region of weed U1 has now been detected in U1(t.sub.2), the hatched region was extended accordingly in A(t.sub.2). The numeral 3 above the extended hatched region indicates that said extended region is to be treated a total of three times (N=3) with herbicide H1.

[0158] In addition, A(t.sub.2) indicates that herbicide H2 is to be applied in the region (wavy region) in which weed U2 was detected in U2(t.sub.2). The number 4 below the wavy region indicates that this subarea is to be treated a total of four times (N=4) with herbicide H2.

[0159] U1(t.sub.3) shows that the region containing weed U1 has shifted further right. In U2(t.sub.3), weed U2 has completely disappeared. A(t.sub.3) represents the application map associated with U1(t.sub.3) and U2(t.sub.3). In the circular region of A(t.sub.1), herbicide H1 is also to be further applied as per A(t.sub.3), specifically once more (N=1). In the crescent region too which was added to the circular region in A(t.sub.2), herbicide H1 is to be further applied, specifically twice more (N=2). In addition, herbicide H1 is to be applied in the region which newly appeared in U1(t.sub.3), specifically a total of three times (N=3).

[0160] As per A(t.sub.3), herbicide H2 is, too, to be applied once again, specifically in the same region as in A(t.sub.2). No new regions with weed U2 were added in U2(t.sub.3).

[0161] U1(t.sub.4) shows that no more weed U1 was detected on the field after the application as per A(t.sub.3). U2(t.sub.4) shows that no more weed U2 was detected on the field after the application as per A(t.sub.3). Nevertheless, herbicides H1 and H2 are applied as per A(t.sub.4). In the circular region from A(t.sub.1), no more herbicide H1 is applied for the first time in A(t.sub.4) (N=0). In said region, herbicide H1 was applied three timesthis number of applications is sufficient for permanently eliminating the nest.

[0162] In the crescent regions which were added to the circular region in A(t.sub.2) and A(t.sub.3), application is to be carried out once again; once more (N=1) in the case of the crescent region that appeared first (see U1(t.sub.2)), twice more (N=2) in the case of the crescent region that appeared thereafter (see U1(t.sub.3)).

[0163] The region from U2(t.sub.2) is to be treated with herbicide H2 twice more (N=2) in A(t.sub.4).

[0164] In U1(t.sub.5) and U2*(t.sub.5), no more weed was further detected. Nevertheless, herbicide H1 and herbicide H2 are further to be applied as per A(t.sub.5): a last time (N=1) in the region of U1(t.sub.3) with herbicide H1 and a last (N=1) time in the region of U2(t.sub.2) with herbicide H2.

[0165] U1(t.sub.6) and U2(t.sub.3) indicate that no more weed was further detected. As per A(t.sub.6), an application of a herbicide is not necessary.

[0166] It should be additionally noted that this example did not explicitly mention the economic thresholds of weed U1 and weed U2. In this example, it could be assumed, for example, that whenever weed U1 or weed U2 was detected in the field, the economic thresholds had been exceeded.