Method and system for estimating performance for position-specific control of an agricultural machine

#This disclosure relates to a method and system for estimating performance (e.g., yield) for position-specific control of an agricultural machine.

#In certain prior art, agronomic data on plants or crop is collected machines/drones/planes/satellites/operations center. If data is collected on a plant-by-plant level, the yield data or other collected performance data tends to exceed data processing budgets or data processing capacity. For reference, an acre of corn or maize can have about 35,000 plants. Each plant could be described by tens or hundreds of attributes. For wheat or soybeans, the plant population and data attributes lead to data sets that are five or ten times larger than for corn. Accordingly, there is need to support a method and system for estimating performance (e.g., yield) for position-specific control of an agricultural machine, without using big data processing resources.

#In accordance with one embodiment, a method for determining the yield of a crop in a field uses multiple layers of data to estimate yield or crop performance. Moisture data (e.g., first data layer) is obtained during a growing period based on sensor data applicable to the field. Planting date data (e.g., second data layer) is obtained and is applicable to planting of a seed or plant in the field for the growing period. A least one of the seeding rate and seeding depth (e.g., third data layer) is measured for each row of a planter indexed to a position (e.g., geographic coordinates) of the row unit estimated by row position data provided by a location-determining receiver (e.g., GNSS receiver on the seeding implement or a row unit). In conjunction with an image processing system, an image device is configured to measure a planted seedbed/furrow quality (e.g., fourth data layer) associated with the row position data. The obtained moisture data, planting data, seeding rate and seeding depth, and planted seedbed/furrow quality (e.g., first through fourth data layers associated with select data spear zones distributed throughout the field to conserve data processing resources) are applied, inputted or transmitted wirelessly to a central server, with an electronic data processing device that is configured to estimate a yield of the crop at a row position basis throughout the field (e.g., during the growing season or at harvest time).

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system for estimating performance of an agricultural crop or plant for position-specific control of an agricultural machine.

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram of sensing devices that wirelessly provide sensor data to a central server for estimating performance of an agricultural crop or plant for position-specific control of an agricultural machine.

#FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one embodiment of vehicle data processing system and an implement data processing system.

#As used in this document, “adapted to” means programmed with software instructions, arranged to, or configured to perform a task, calculation, estimation, communication, or other function set forth in the document with a logic device, data processor or other electronic structure. Throughout this document, a reference to an “electronic data processor” or “data processor” may refer to any one or more of the following data processors in the drawings: data processor 512 of FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2, first data processor 14 or second data processor 38 of FIG. 3, vehicle data processor 112 of FIG. 4, and implement data processor 150 of FIG. 4.

#In accordance with one embodiment, a method for determining the yield of a crop in a field uses multiple layers of data to estimate yield or crop performance. Moisture data (e.g., first data layer) is obtained during a growing period based on sensor data applicable to the field. Planting date data (e.g . . . second data layer) is obtained and is applicable to planting of a seed or plant in the field for the growing period. A least one of the seeding rate and seeding depth (e.g., third data layer) is measured for each row of a planter indexed to a position (e.g., geographic coordinates) of the row unit estimated by row position data provided by a location-determining receiver (e.g., GNSS receiver on the seeding implement or a row unit). In conjunction with an image processing system, an image device is configured to measure a planted seedbed/furrow quality (e.g., fourth data layer) associated with the row position data. The obtained moisture data, planting data, seeding rate and seeding depth, and planted seedbed/furrow quality (e.g., first through fourth data layers associated with select data spear zones distributed throughout the field to conserve data processing resources) are applied, inputted or transmitted wirelessly to a central server, with an electronic data processing device that is configured to estimate a yield of the crop at a row position basis throughout the field.

#In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1 shows a crop evaluation system. The crop evaluation system includes one or more input devices 510 that provide input data to a data processor 512. Each input device 510 may communicate to the data processor 512 via a communications port 518 and a data bus 516. A data bus 516 may support communications between or among one or more of the following components: the data processor 512, one or more input devices 510, the data storage device 514, the communications port 518, and the electronic display 520 (e.g., liquid crystal display or touchscreen display). A data storage device 514 may store input data inputted by any input device 510, processed data outputted by the data processor 512, or both. An electronic display 520 or another output device may be used to: (a) present a graphical or textual, tabular output of the crop evaluation system to a user, and/or (b) to provide, via a wireless communications channel, such as a pair of transceivers that operate over a communications network, a prescription (e.g., prescription data) to an electronic data processing system to control the operation of the agricultural machine or its implement, or its or their settings for a performing respective agricultural task.