Methods and systems for recommending agricultural activities

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for recommending agricultural activities is implemented by an agricultural intelligence computer system in communication with a memory. The method includes receiving a plurality of field definition data, retrieving a plurality of input data from a plurality of data networks, determining a field region based on the field definition data, identifying a subset of the plurality of input data associated with the field region, determining a plurality of field condition data based on the subset of the plurality of input data, identifying a plurality of field activity options, determining a recommendation score for each of the plurality of field activity options based at least in part on the plurality of field condition data, and providing a recommended field activity option from the plurality of field activity options based on the plurality of recommendation scores.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 using a computing device with a memory, receiving, over a network, field definition data and field condition data for one or more fields;   using the computing device, computing, based on the field definition data and field condition data for the one or more fields, a variable rate sustainability score for the one or more fields,   using the computing device, causing displaying, on a client computing device, an association of the variable rate sustainability score with the one or more fields.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, index values of biomass health for a plurality of regions of the one or more fields;   determining, from the index values of biomass health, a statistical variation of biomass health for the plurality of regions of the one or more fields;   computing the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the statistical variation of biomass health.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, elevation values of a plurality of regions of the one or more fields;   determining, from the elevation values, a statistical variation of elevation for the plurality of regions of the one or more fields;   computing the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the statistical variation off elevation.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, a number of unique soil types in the one or more fields;   determining a distinctness of each unique soil type of the number of unique soil types in the one or more fields;   computing the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the number of unique soil types and the distinctness of each unique soil type in the one or more fields.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determining that the variable rate sustainability score exceeds a threshold value;   in response to the determining, generating soil-based management zones based, at least in part, on the unique soil types in the one or more fields;   causing displaying, on the client computing device, the soil-based management zones.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 identifying, from the field definition data and field condition data for the one or more fields, one or more secondary spatial characteristics;   modifying the soil-based management zones based on the one or more secondary spatial characteristics;   causing displaying, on the client computing device, the modified soil-based management zones.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more secondary spatial characteristics comprise one or more of: elevation, electrical conductivity, organic matter content, presence of tilling, presence of irrigation, yield from one or more prior seasons, reflectivity, characteristics derived from reflectivity, or thermal emissivity. 
     
     
         8 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
 receiving, over a network, field definition data and field condition data for one or more fields;   computing, based on the field definition data and field condition data for the one or more fields, a variable rate sustainability score for the one or more fields,   causing displaying, on a client computing device, an association of the variable rate sustainability score with the one or more fields.   
     
     
         9 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 8  wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 determining, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, index values of biomass health for a plurality of regions of the one or more fields; 
 determining, from the index values of biomass health, a statistical variation of biomass health for the plurality of regions of the one or more fields; 
 computing the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the statistical variation of biomass health. 
 
     
     
         10 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 8  wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 determining, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, elevation values of a plurality of regions of the one or more fields; 
 determining, from the elevation values, a statistical variation of elevation for the plurality of regions of the one or more fields; 
 computing the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the statistical variation off elevation. 
 
     
     
         11 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 8  wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 determining, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, a number of unique soil types in the one or more fields; 
 determining a distinctness of each unique soil type of the number of unique soil types in the one or more fields; 
 computing the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the number of unique soil types and the distinctness of each unique soil type in the one or more fields. 
 
     
     
         12 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 11  wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 determining that the variable rate sustainability score exceeds a threshold value; 
 in response to the determining, generating soil-based management zones based, at least in part, on the unique soil types in the one or more fields; 
 causing displaying, on the client computing device, the soil-based management zones. 
 
     
     
         13 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 12  wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 identifying, from the field definition data and field condition data for the one or more fields, one or more secondary spatial characteristics; 
 modifying the soil-based management zones based on the one or more secondary spatial characteristics; 
 causing displaying, on the client computing device, the modified soil-based management zones. 
 
     
     
         14 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more secondary spatial characteristics comprise one or more of: elevation, electrical conductivity, organic matter content, presence of tilling, presence of irrigation, yield from one or more prior seasons, reflectivity, characteristics derived from reflectivity, or thermal emissivity. 
     
     
         15 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, said processors configured to:   receive, over a network, field definition data and field condition data for one or more fields;   compute, based on the field definition data and field condition data for the one or more fields, a variable rate sustainability score for the one or more fields,   cause displaying, on a client computing device, an association of the variable rate sustainability score with the one or more fields.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, index values of biomass health for a plurality of regions of the one or more fields;   determine, from the index values of biomass health, a statistical variation of biomass health for the plurality of regions of the one or more fields;   compute the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the statistical variation of biomass health.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, elevation values of a plurality of regions of the one or more fields;   determine, from the elevation values, a statistical variation of elevation for the plurality of regions of the one or more fields;   compute the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the statistical variation off elevation.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine, from the field definition data and the field condition data for the one or more fields, a number of unique soil types in the one or more fields;   determine a distinctness of each unique soil type of the number of unique soil types in the one or more fields;   compute the variable rate sustainability score based, at least in part, on the number of unique soil types and the distinctness of each unique soil type in the one or more fields.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine that the variable rate sustainability score exceeds a threshold value;   in response to the determining, generate soil-based management zones based, at least in part, on the unique soil types in the one or more fields;   cause displaying, on the client computing device, the soil-based management zones.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 identify, from the field definition data and field condition data for the one or more fields, one or more secondary spatial characteristics;   modify the soil-based management zones based on the one or more secondary spatial characteristics;   cause displaying, on the client computing device, the modified soil-based management zones.