Quantitative precipitation estimate quality control

A computer-implemented method providing improvements in agricultural science by improving sensor measurements of precipitation, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a radar device, one or more digital precipitation records comprising a plurality of digital data values representing precipitation amounts at a plurality of locations, each of the digital data values indicative of a radar-based precipitation amount at a location;
• receiving one or more digital forecast records comprising a plurality of digital data values representing precipitation forecasts at the plurality of locations for a plurality of different lead times, for each of the plurality of locations, the data values including forecast values for each of a plurality of incremental intervals, the precipitation forecasts each generated at a different one of the plurality of different lead times, the precipitation forecasts overlapping during at least one of the incremental intervals;
• identifying, using the one or more digital precipitation records and the one or more digital forecast records, a plurality of the forecast values for the plurality of locations at a particular one of the incremental intervals;
• determining that a particular location of the plurality of locations is a persistent clutter location, wherein a persistent clutter location is a location associated with a number of false precipitation readings above a defined threshold;
• based on determining that the particular location is a persistent clutter location, generating a maximum precipitation value for the particular location using the plurality of forecast values;
• determining that a particular digital data value representing a precipitation value for the particular location is greater than the maximum precipitation value;
• in response to determining that a particular digital data value is greater than the maximum precipitation value, replacing the particular digital data value with the maximum precipitation value;
• using one or more particular digital data values, generating a set of instructions for performing agricultural activities by one or more agricultural implements at the plurality of locations, the one or more particular digital data values comprising digital data values that have been replaced with a maximum precipitation value;
• and
• performing, by the one or more agricultural implements, based on the set of instructions, a treatment to a portion of an agronomic field.

An irrigation treatment system for providing improvements in agricultural science by optimizing irrigation treatment placements for testing in a field comprising a processor and main memory comprising instructions which, when executed, cause:

• receiving, from a radar device, one or more digital precipitation records comprising a plurality of digital data values representing precipitation amounts at a plurality of locations, each of the digital data values indicative of a radar-based precipitation amount at a location;
• receiving one or more digital forecast records comprising a plurality of digital data values representing precipitation forecasts at the plurality of locations for a plurality of different lead times, for each of the plurality of locations, the data values including forecast values for each of a plurality incremental intervals, the precipitation forecasts each generated at a different one of the plurality of different lead times, the precipitation forecasts overlapping during at least one of the incremental intervals;
• identifying, using the one or more digital precipitation records and the one or more digital forecast records, a plurality of the forecast values for the plurality of locations at a particular one of the incremental intervals;
• computing, based on the plurality of forecast values, one or more weights per precipitation forecast, and the lead time of the precipitation forecast, a probability of precipitation at each of the plurality of locations at the particular one of the incremental intervals;
• determining that the probability of precipitation at a particular location is lower than a threshold probability;
• in response to determining that the probability of precipitation at a particular location is lower than the threshold probability, digitally storing data identifying the particular location as having received less precipitation than expected;
• using the digitally stored data identifying the particular location as having received less precipitation than expected, generating a set of instructions for performing irrigational agricultural activities by one or more irrigational agricultural implements at the plurality of locations;
• and
• performing, by the one or more irrigational agricultural implements, based on the set of instructions, an irrigation treatment to a portion of an agronomic field.