Risk management on the application of crop inputs

A system for managing a crop insurance program or a grower compliance plan, the system comprising:

• a planning module, of a first data processing system, that determines an input management plan that specifies parameters for application of a crop input to a target field having a target field area within a defined geographic area that is greater in geographic scope than the target field area, the input management plan comprising a quantity and a concentration of nitrogen fertilizer to be applied to the target field;
• a sensing station in the target field that regularly or periodically detects and stores a soil nitrogen level of the target field at corresponding measurement times with time stamps, wherein the sensing station transmits by wireless communication an alert if the soil nitrogen level of the target field is below a minimum reference level, wherein the alert comprises instructions for correction of the soil nitrogen level of the target field by application of an additional crop input within an allotted maximum time;
• a work vehicle equipped with work vehicle electronics, wherein the work vehicle is configured to harvest a particular crop from the field such that the work vehicle receives the particular crop from the field in a path of crop flow, wherein the work vehicle electronics comprises:
• a work vehicle sensor positioned in the path of crop flow, wherein the work vehicle sensor is configured to measure a field yield of the particular crop in the field while the work vehicle receives the crop in the path of crop flow;
• a communications device in communication with the work vehicle sensor through a work vehicle data bus and further in communication with the first data processing system, wherein the communications device is configured to receive the parameters for application of the crop input from the first data processing system;
• and
• a dispensing actuator in communication with the communications device through the work vehicle data bus, wherein the dispensing actuator is configured to apply the crop input to the field according to the parameters received by the communications device;
• the first data processing system is configured to determine whether other fields within the geographic area are compliant with the input management plan by detecting a soil nitrogen level of the other fields;
• an estimator, of the first data processing system, that estimates an aggregate yield of the particular crop within a geographic zone associated with the defined geographic area based on the other fields within the geographic area determined to be compliant fields that comply with the input management plan;
• the first data processing system is further configured to determine a difference or variation between the field yield and the aggregate yield;
• and
• a communications interface, of the first data processing system, that makes available the determined difference and a field identifier associated with the field to a receiving entity that is associated with at least one of claims and insurance on the field, where the making available comprises transmitting information to a second data processing system via a communications network.

A method for managing the characteristics of a crop in a target field, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. deploying at least one work vehicle into the target field, wherein the target field comprises a field area within a geographic area that is greater in geographic scope than the field area of the target field, wherein the at least one work vehicle is one of a harvester and a combine, and wherein the at least one work vehicle comprises;
• i. a work vehicle sensor;
• and
• ii. a communications device;
• b. positioning at least one sensor in the target field, wherein the at least one sensor of the target field is in communication with the communications device of the at least one work vehicle;
• c. applying a crop input management plan to the target field to obtain a target field characteristic associated with the target field in compliance with a criteria characteristic, wherein applying the crop input management plan comprises:
• i. applying via the at least one work vehicle a crop input to the target field;
• ii. recording via the at least one sensor of the target field the target field characteristic associated with the target field;
• iii. determining whether the target field characteristic recorded via the at least one sensor of the target field is compliant with the criteria characteristic;
• iv. if the target field characteristic recorded via the at least one sensor of the target field is not compliant with the criteria characteristic, transmitting to the communications device of the at least one work vehicle a prescription for correcting the target field characteristic, wherein the prescription comprises an additional amount of a crop input necessary to correct the target field characteristic;
• and
• v. if the target field characteristic recorded via the at least one sensor of the target field is not compliant with the criteria characteristic, applying via the at least one work vehicle the additional amount of crop input necessary to correct the target field characteristic;
• d. after applying the crop input management plan to the target field, harvesting the crop in the target field using the at least one work vehicle such that the crop is received by the at least one work vehicle in a path of crop flow;
• e. determining a target field yield associated with the crop of the target field, wherein the determining of the target field yield comprises measuring a quantity of the crop harvested by the at least one work vehicle via the work vehicle sensor, wherein the work vehicle sensor is positioned in the path of crop flow;
• f. recording via a plurality of reference field sensors located in a plurality of reference fields within the geographic area a reference field characteristic for each of the plurality of reference fields;
• g. determining whether the reference field characteristic of each of the plurality of reference fields is compliant with the criteria characteristic;
• h. estimating an aggregate yield of the crop associated with the geographic area based on the reference fields in the geographic area having reference field characteristics determined to be compliant with the criteria characteristic;
• i. determining a difference between the target field yield and the aggregate yield;
• and
• j. communicating to a receiving entity via the communications device of the at least one work vehicle the determined difference and a field identifier associated with the target field.