# US 10,368,481 B2 · Method and system for providing soil analysis

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,368,481 B2
- Document ID: US10368481B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/501,419
- Filed: 2015-09-29
- Published: 2017-08-17
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-29
- Assignees: Floratine Products Group, Inc
- Applicants: Floratine Products Group, Inc
- Inventors: Timothy B. Cartwright
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368481B2

## CPC

- A01C 21/007: {Determining fertilization requirements}
- A01G 2/00: Vegetative propagation (plant reproduction by tissue culture techniques A01H4/00)
- A01G 7/00: Botany in general
- A01G 22/00: Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
- G06Q 30/0631: {Recommending goods or services}
- G06Q 50/02: Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
- A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00)
- A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

The present disclosure describes a system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for analyzing soil samples. Accordingly, soil sample units may be obtained and provided to a server that generates raw data. The raw data is subsequently organized into a sub-report for each nutrient or variable contained in the raw data. An average for each nutrient in the raw data and a number of additional factors related to the raw data may be calculated. The average and additional factors are used to determine bulk recommendations by comparing target data to an exchangeable measured value. Additionally, the factors are also used to determine challenges and solutions by comparing the average data to the target data for each nutrient. The system compares the raw data to the measured values an mathematically adjusts the compared values to compute an optimal treatment algorithm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for generating a nutrient treatment recommendation to increase yield for a specific agricultural crop comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, a total measurement of a nutrient contained in a soil sample from the specific agricultural crop in a field;
receiving, by the one or more processors, an estimate of an amount of the nutrient available in solution to be absorbed by roots of the specific agricultural crop from the soil sample;
receiving by one or more processors a type of the agricultural crop;
selecting, by the one or more processors, from a plurality of threshold values a first threshold value for the measurement and a second threshold value for the estimate based on the type of the agricultural crop;
comparing, by the one or more processors, the measurement to the first threshold value;
comparing, by the one or more processors, the estimate to the second threshold value;
generating, by the one or more processors, a combination nutrient treatment recommendation to increase yield for the specific agricultural crop based on the comparisons; and
providing, by the one or more processors, the combination nutrient treatment recommendation for the specific agricultural crop in the field for display.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein when the total measurement of the nutrient is less than the first threshold value, generating the combination recommendation includes generating a recommendation to add nutrients foliarly to the specific agricultural crop.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein when the estimate is less than the first threshold value, generating the combination recommendation includes generating a recommendation to add nutrients to the specific agricultural crop as a soil amendment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the nutrient is an anion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the anion is selected from the group consisting of phosphorus (P); sulfur (S); chloride (Cl) and bicarbonate (HCO−3).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the nutrient is selected from the group consisting of a base cation, nitrogen, and a micronutrient.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement is received from a sensor system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the estimate is received from a sensor system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a second total measurement of a second nutrient contained in the soil sample;
receiving a second estimate of an amount of the second nutrient available to be absorbed by the roots of the specific agricultural crop, and
wherein generating the combination nutrient treatment recommendation is further based on the second total measurement and the second estimate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
selecting from the plurality of threshold values a third threshold value for the second total measurement and a fourth threshold value for the second estimate, and
wherein generating the combination nutrient treatment recommendation is further based on a comparison of the third threshold value to the second total measurement and a comparison of the fourth threshold value to the second estimate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the combination nutrient treatment recommendation includes a specific recommendation for each of the total measurement, the estimate, the total second measurement, and the second estimate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising:
ranking the specific recommendations based on predetermined ranking priorities for the agricultural crop type, and
wherein generating the combination nutrient treatment recommendation is further based on the ranking.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting the predetermined ranking priorities from a set of predetermined ranking priorities based on the agricultural crop type.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each threshold value of the plurality of threshold values is associated with a particular agricultural crop type such that the plurality of threshold values correspond to a plurality of different agricultural crop types.

### Claim 15

A system for generating a nutrient treatment recommendation to increase yield for a specific agricultural crop, the system comprising:
memory storing a plurality of threshold values;
one or more computing devices having one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to:
receive a total measurement of a nutrient contained in a soil sample from the specific agricultural crop in a field;
receive an estimate of an amount of the nutrient available in solution to be absorbed by roots of the specific agricultural crop from the soil sample;
receive a type of the specific agricultural crop;
select from the plurality of threshold values a first threshold value for the measurement and a second threshold value for the estimate based on the type of the specific agricultural crop;
compare the total measurement to the first threshold value;
compare the estimate to the second threshold value;
generate a combination recommendation to increase yield for the specific agricultural crop based on the comparisons; and
provide the combination nutrient treatment recommendation for the specific agricultural crop in the field for display.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein when the total measurement of the nutrient is less than the first threshold value, the one or more processors are further configured to generate the combination recommendation by generating a recommendation to add one or more nutrients foliarly, to the specific agricultural crop.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein when the estimate is less than the first threshold value, the one or more processors are further configured to generate the combination recommendation by generating a recommendation to add nutrients to the specific agricultural crop as a soil amendment.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the nutrient is an anion.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein the anion is selected from the group consisting of phosphorus (P); sulfur (S); chloride (Cl) and bicarbonate (HCO3).

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the nutrient is selected from the group consisting of a base cation, nitrogen, and a micronutrient.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive the total measurement from a sensor system.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive the estimate from a sensor system.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive a second total measurement of a second nutrient contained in the soil sample;
receive a second estimate of an amount of the second nutrient available to be absorbed by the roots of the specific agricultural crop, and
generate the combination nutrient treatment recommendation further based on the second total measurement and the second estimate.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
select from the plurality of threshold values a third threshold value for the second measurement and a fourth threshold value for the second estimate, and generate the combination recommendation, wherein the recommendation is further based on a comparison of the third threshold value to the second total measurement and a comparison of the fourth threshold value to the second estimate.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the combination nutrient treatment recommendation includes a specific recommendation for each of the total measurement, the estimate, the second total measurement, and the second estimate.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
rank the specific recommendations based on predetermined ranking priorities for the agricultural crop type, and
generate the combination recommendation further based on the ranking.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select a predetermined ranking priority from a set of predetermined ranking priorities based on the agricultural crop type.

### Claim 28 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to associate each threshold value of the plurality of threshold values with a particular agricultural crop type such that the plurality of threshold values correspond to a plurality of different agricultural crop types.