US 2019/0171990 A1 · USING HISTORICAL PLANT-AVAILABLE WATER METRICS TO FORECAST CROP YIELD

Abstract

A method of forecasting crop yield for a selected field crop planted at a field site based on the plant-available water within a growing season. A crop water use efficiency factor is established based on historical seasonal available water, which can be applied to current season precipitation and available water estimates. The method of estimating yield potential allows for accurate yield potential forecasting using only precipitation values and current plant-available moisture. Optimal embodiments of the method are practiced using a forecasting software component on a computer. Results of the forecasting method can be displayed using different computer software interfaces.

Claims47

Dependent claims

A method of estimating yield potential (YP) for a selected crop growing at a field site for a current growing season having a planting date and a completion date, said method comprising:

a. in a capture step conducted at a sample date, capturing at least one moisture reading in relation to a sample depth within a rooting depth of the field site;
b. in a calculation step:
i. using the at least one moisture reading captured in relation to the rooting depth and other necessary method parameters, calculating the raw soil water value (WRaw) within the rooting depth, being the amount of plant-available water within the rooting depth at the sample date;
ii. calculating the total available moisture (MTotal) using the raw soil water value (WRaw), the precipitation received (PR) at the field site to date within the current growing season, and the forecast precipitation (PF) at the field site for the remainder of the current growing season;
iii. calculating the yield potential (YP) for the crop in the growing season based on the total available moisture (MTotal).

2 more elements

A method of using a computer to estimate yield potential (YP) for a selected crop growing at a field site for a current growing season having a planting date and a completion date, wherein the computer comprises a forecasting software component within the memory of the computer capable of facilitating the necessary data transactions of the method and a user display via which the results of the method can be displayed to a user, the method comprising, by operation of the computer and the forecasting software component, executing the steps of:

a. using at least one moisture reading captured in relation to a capture depth within a rooting depth of the field site and other necessary method parameters, calculating the raw soil water value (WRaw) within the rooting depth, being the amount of plant-available water within the rooting depth at the sample date;
b. calculating the yield potential (YP) for the crop in the growing season based on the combination of the total inseason precipitation and the raw soil water value, being the total seasonal plant-available water for the crop;
and
c. displaying the calculated yield potential (YP) for the crop to a user of the computer.

1 more element

A method of estimating yield potential (YP) for at least one selected crop growing at a field site for a current growing season having a planting date and a completion date, said method using a computer comprising:

a. a connection to a historical precipitation data source containing daily average precipitation amounts for the field site for each calendar day of at least one previous calendar year;
b. a connection to a current precipitation data source containing daily actual precipitation amounts for the field site for each calendar day of the current growing season;
c. a crop database comprising at least one crop record storing at least the following with respect to a selected crop planted at a field site:
i. the planting date and the completion date of the current growing season;
ii. any additional agronomic variables which would alter crop water usage;
and
iii. a crop water use efficiency factor (FUE) for the selected crop at the field site calculated using the formula:
F
UE
=
Y
Hist
P
Hist
-
MF
where:
YHist is a historical yield for the selected crop;
PHist is the historical seasonal precipitation, being the total of daily average precipitation amounts for a calendar date range defined by the planting date to the completion date of the current growing season, based on data stored within a historical precipitation data source containing daily average precipitation amounts for the field site for each calendar day of at least one previous growing season;
and
MF is an initial moisture factor for the selected crop, being the required amount of available water for the selected crop to establish initial crop growth;
iv. the raw soil water value (WRaw) within a rooting depth of the field site at the planting date based on at least one moisture reading captured in relation to a sample depth within the rooting depth;
and
v. a permanent wilting point (WP) of the rooting depth, being the inferior limit of crop available water in the soil of the field site;
d. a yield potential database comprising at least one yield potential record corresponding to a calculation executed in accordance with the method, each yield potential record containing at least:
i. a link to a related crop record;
ii. a calculation date;
and
iii. the yield potential (YP) of the selected crop in the current growing season as of the calculation date;
and
e. a forecasting software component capable of facilitating the necessary data transactions of the method;
the method comprising using the forecasting software component to execute a yield potential calculation by:
a. in a trigger step, upon the detection of a trigger condition in respect of a crop record:
i. capturing a calculation date;
ii. determining the precipitation received (PR) at the field site from the planting date to the calculation date, based on data stored within a current precipitation data source containing daily actual precipitation amounts for the field site for each calendar day of the current growing season;
iii. determining the forecast precipitation (PF) at the field site from the calculation date to the completion date;
iv. calculating the total available moisture (MTotal) using the formula:
MTotal=((WRaw−WP)+PR+PF)−MF
v. calculating the yield potential (YP) using the formula:
YP=MTotal*FUE
vi. creating a related yield potential record in the yield potential database, linked to the related crop record and storing the yield potential (YP) along with the other record contents.

38 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing for use in a method of estimating yield potential (YP) within a current growing season for a selected crop planted at a field site, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions comprising a forecasting software component that when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

a. using a user interface or data stored in the memory of the computer, determine at least the following method parameters:
i. a planting date and a completion date defining the current growing season, and a calculation date being the effective date of the estimate calculation;
ii. the historical seasonal precipitation (PHist), being the total of daily average precipitation amounts for a calendar date range defined by the planting date to the completion date of the current growing season, based on data stored within a historical precipitation data source containing daily average precipitation amounts for the field site for each calendar day of at least one previous growing season;
iii. an initial moisture factor (MF) for the selected crop, being the required amount of available water for the selected crop to establish initial crop growth;
iv. a historical yield (YHist) for the selected crop;
v. a permanent wilting point (WP) of the field site, being the inferior limit of crop available water in the soil of the field site;
and
b. for the current growing season:
i. determining the raw soil water value (WRaw) within a rooting depth of the field site at the planting date based on at least one moisture reading captured in relation to a sample depth within the rooting depth;
ii. determining the precipitation received (PR) at the field site from the planting date to the calculation date, based on data stored within a current precipitation data source containing daily actual precipitation amounts for the field site for each calendar day of the current growing season;
iii. determining the forecast precipitation (PF) at the field site from the calculation date to the completion date;
c. calculating a crop water use efficiency factor (FUE) using the formula:
F
UE
=
Y
Hist
P
Hist
-
MF
d. calculating the total available moisture (MTotal) using the formula:
MTotal=((WRaw−WP)+PR+PF)−MF
e. calculating the yield potential (YP) using the formula:
YP=MTotal*FUE
f. storing the calculated yield potential (YP) in the memory of the computer.

23 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Using historical plant-available water metrics to forecast crop yield

Life of this patent

Using historical plant-available water metrics to forecast crop yield

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims47