Methods and systems for managing agricultural activities

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing agricultural activities in a field region. In one example, a computer-implemented method includes identifying temperature grids for the field region, and identifying weather stations for the temperature grids. Each weather station is located at a weather station location in the temperature grids. The computer-implemented method also includes computing weight values based on the weather station locations of the weather stations, such that the weather stations that are more proximate to their respective grids have higher weights than weather stations that are less proximate to their respective grids, and receiving temperature readings from the weather stations. The computer-implemented method then includes computing a plurality of weighted temperatures based on the weight values, computing field condition data for the field region based on the weighted temperatures, and determining at least one field activity for the field region based on the field condition data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for managing agricultural activities in a field region, the method comprising:
 receiving, by an agricultural intelligence computer, a plurality of field definition data identifying a field region;   retrieving, by the agricultural intelligence computer, a plurality of input data from a plurality of data networks for the identified field region, wherein the plurality of input data includes field-specific data for the field region;   identifying, by the agricultural intelligence computer, a plurality of temperature grids for the field region;   identifying, by the agricultural intelligence computer, a plurality of weather stations for the plurality of temperature grids, wherein a weather station of the plurality of weather stations is located at a weather station location, of a plurality of weather station locations, in a temperature grid of the plurality of temperature grids;   computing weight values for the plurality of weather stations based on the plurality of weather station locations of the plurality of weather stations, wherein weather stations, of the plurality of weather stations, that are more proximate to their respective temperature grids have higher weights than weather stations, of the plurality of weather stations, that are less proximate to their respective temperature grids;   receiving a plurality of temperature readings from the identified plurality of weather stations;   based on the plurality of temperature readings and the plurality of weight values computed for the plurality of weather stations, computing a plurality of weighted temperatures;   computing a plurality of field condition data for the field region based on the plurality of weighted temperatures and the field-specific data;   based, at least in part, on the plurality of field condition data, determining at least one field activity for the field region; and   providing the at least one field activity for the field region to a user device and/or an agricultural machine configured to perform the at least one field activity in the field region.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by the agricultural intelligence computer, at least one precipitation grid for the field region and retrieving a set of recent precipitation data and a set of predicted precipitation data for the identified at least one precipitation grid for the field region; and
 wherein computing the plurality of field condition data is further based on the retrieved set of recent precipitation data and the retrieved set of predicted precipitation data.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining, by the agricultural intelligence computer, a workability index for the field region based, at least in part, on the set of recent precipitation data and the set of predicted precipitation data;   based, at least in part, on the workability index for the field region, determining, by the agricultural intelligence computer, at least one date for performing the at least one field activity in the field region; and   transmitting an alert to the user device including the at least one date for performing the at least one field activity.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising directing, by the agricultural intelligence computer, the agricultural machine to perform the at least one field activity in the field region. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the field-specific data is received from the agricultural machine. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the field-specific data is received from the user device. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one field activity includes: planting, nitrogen application, pest and disease treatment, irrigation application, scouting, and/or harvesting. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 comparing, by the agricultural intelligence computer, the field condition data to one or more thresholds; and   in response to the field condition data satisfying the one or more thresholds, transmitting, by the agricultural intelligence computer, an alert relating to the at least one field activity to the user device and/or the agricultural machine.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the agricultural intelligence computer, a plurality of alert preferences from the user device; and   identifying the one or more thresholds based on the plurality of alert preferences received from the user device.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
 identify a plurality of temperature grids for a field region;   identify a plurality of weather stations for the plurality of temperature grids, wherein a weather station of the plurality of weather stations is located at a weather station location, of a plurality of weather station locations, in a temperature grid of the plurality of temperature grids;   compute a plurality of weight values based on the plurality of weather station locations of the plurality of weather stations such that weather stations, of the plurality of weather stations, that are more proximate to their respective temperature grids have higher weights than weather stations, of the plurality of weather stations, that are less proximate to their respective temperature grids;   receive a plurality of temperature readings from the identified plurality of weather stations;   based on the plurality of temperature readings and the plurality of weight values computed for the plurality of weather stations, compute a plurality of weighted temperatures;   compute a plurality of field condition data for the field region based, at least in part, on the plurality of weighted temperatures;   based, at least in part, on the plurality of field condition data, determine at least one field activity for the field region; and   transmit the at least one field activity for the field region to a user device and/or an agricultural machine configured to perform agricultural activities in the field region.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to identify at least one precipitation grid for the field region and retrieve a set of recent precipitation data and a set of predicted precipitation data for the identified at least one precipitation grid for the field region; and
 wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor to compute the plurality of field condition data, cause the at least one processor to compute the plurality of field condition data further based on the retrieved set of recent precipitation data and the retrieved set of predicted precipitation data.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
 determine a workability index for the field region based, at least in part, on the set of recent precipitation data and the set of predicted precipitation data;   based, at least in part, on the workability index for the field region, determine at least one date for performing the at least one field activity in the field region; and   transmit an alert to the user device including the at least one date for performing the at least one field activity.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to direct the agricultural machine to perform the at least one field activity in the field region. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one field activity include: planting, nitrogen application, pest and disease treatment, irrigation application, scouting, and/or harvesting. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
 compare the field condition data to one or more thresholds; and   in response to the field condition data satisfying the one or more thresholds, transmit an alert relating to the at least one field activity to the user device and/or the agricultural machine.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
 receive a plurality of alert preferences from the user device; and   identify the one or more thresholds based on the plurality of alert preferences received from the user device.   
     
     
         17 . A networked agricultural intelligence system for use in managing agricultural activities in a field region, the system comprising:
 an agricultural intelligence computer system comprising a processor and a memory in communication with said processor, said agricultural intelligence computer system configured to:
 identify a plurality of weather grids for a field region; 
 identify a plurality of weather stations for the plurality of weather grids, wherein a weather station of the plurality of weather stations is located at a weather station location, of a plurality of weather station locations, in a weather grid of the plurality of weather grids; 
 compute a plurality of weight values based on the plurality of weather station locations of the plurality of weather stations such that weather stations, of the plurality of weather stations, that are more proximate to their respective weather grids have higher weights than weather stations, of the plurality of weather stations, that are less proximate to their respective weather grids; 
 receive a plurality of weather readings from the identified plurality of weather stations; 
 based on the plurality of weather readings and the plurality of weight values computed for the plurality of weather stations, compute a plurality of weighted weather data; 
 compute a plurality of field condition data for the field region based, at least in part, on the plurality of weighted weather data; 
 based, at least in part, on the plurality of field condition data, determine at least one field activity for the field region; and 
 transmit the at least one field activity for the field region to a user device and/or an agricultural machine configured to perform agricultural activities in the field region. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the weather grids include temperature grids associated with temperature readings for the field region and/or precipitation grids associated with precipitation readings for the field region. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the agricultural intelligence computer system is further configured to direct the agricultural machine to perform the at least one field activity in the field region. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the agricultural intelligence computer system is further configured to:
 compare the field condition data to one or more thresholds; and   in response to the field condition data satisfying the one or more thresholds, transmit an alert relating to the at least one field activity options to the user device and/or the agricultural machine.