Computer-implemented calculation of corn harvest recommendations

Abstract

A computer system and computer-implemented techniques for determining crop harvest times during a growing season based upon hybrid seed properties, weather conditions, and geo-location of planted fields is provided. In an embodiment, determining crop harvest times for corn fields may be accomplished using a server computer system that receives over a digital communication network, electronic digital data representing hybrid seed properties, including seed type and relative maturity, and weather data for the specific geo-location of the agricultural field. Weather data includes temperature, humidity, and dew point for a specified period of days. Using digitally programmed equilibrium moisture content logic within the computer system to create and store, in computer memory, an equilibrium moisture content time series for the specific geo-location that is based upon weather data. The equilibrium moisture content is used to determine the rate of grain dry down because it gives a basis for how strongly water vapor will dissipate from a kernel to open air. Using digitally programmed grain moisture logic of the computer system to calculate and store in computer memory R6 moisture content for a specific hybrid seed based on a plurality of hybrid seed data. Using digitally programmed grain dry down logic of the computer system to create and store in computer memory a grain dry down time series model for the specific hybrid seed at the specific geo-location that represents the estimated moisture content of the kernel over specified time data points. The grain dry down time series is based upon the equilibrium moisture content time series, the estimated R6 date, the estimated R6 moisture content value, and specific hybrid seed properties. Using digitally programmed harvest recommendation logic of the computer system to determine and display a harvest time recommendation for harvesting crop grown from a specific hybrid seed plant based on the grain dry down time series and the desired moisture level of the grower.

1 . A method for obtaining and displaying a harvest time recommendation for crops grown on one or more agricultural fields comprising:
 receiving data for an identification graphical user interface (GUI) over a digital data communication network from an agricultural intelligence computer system;   displaying the identification GUI on a user device, the identification GUI providing an interface region for a user to input identification data for the one or more agricultural fields;   after receiving input identification data from the user, transmitting the user inputted identification data to the agricultural intelligence computer system;   receiving data for a data manager GUI over the digital data communication network from the agricultural intelligence computer system;   displaying the data manager GUI on the user device, the data manager GUI providing one or more regions for a user to input field data comprising a plurality of values representing crop seed data for the one or more agricultural fields identified;   after receiving input field data from the user, transmitting the inputted field data to the agricultural intelligence computer system;   receiving data for a recommendation GUI over the digital data communication network from the agricultural intelligence computer system;   and   displaying the recommendation GUI, the recommendation GUI displaying a harvest time recommendation for harvesting crop grown from a specific hybrid seed planted in the one or more agricultural fields, based, at least in part, on the inputted field data and the inputted identification data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crop seed data includes digital data representing estimated relative maturity of the specific hybrid seed and R6 data for the specific hybrid seed that is based upon historical phenology modeling data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data manager GUI further includes a weather input region for a user to input weather data and the harvest time recommendation is based, at least in part, on the inputted weather data, and wherein the weather data comprises digital data representing values for historical average, maximum, and minimum daily temperature, historical daily dewpoint temperatures, historical average relative humidity, and historical saturated vapor pressure for a given temperature for the one or more fields. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the harvest time recommendation is based on a grain dry down time series determined by the agricultural intelligence computer system that represents moisture levels of the specific hybrid seed, and the grain dry down time series is based, at least, in part, on creation of an equilibrium moisture content time series by the agricultural intelligence computer system which comprises:
 deriving an average daily dry-basis equilibrium moisture content fraction value at a specific time using computer execution of a digital representation of a Chung-Pfost equation;   compiling the equilibrium moisture content time series using derived average daily dry-basis equilibrium moisture content fraction values over a series of time data points.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the specific hybrid seed is a type of hybrid seed and the grain dry down time series is based, at least in part, on an R6 moisture content calculated by the agricultural intelligence computer system, and wherein calculation of the R6 moisture content comprises:
 deriving a dry down start date drying coefficient based, at least in part, on R6 data for the specific hybrid seed;   deriving an R6 adjustment factor based, at least in part, on relative maturity of the specific hybrid seed;   calculating an R6 moisture content for the specific hybrid seed using the dry down start date drying coefficient, the R6 adjustment factor, the relative maturity of the specific hybrid seed, and a baseline relative maturity of the type of hybrid seed.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the dry down start date drying coefficient is calculated as a median of a posterior distribution of R6 dates for the specific hybrid seed, where the posterior distribution of R6 dates is a compilation of historical R6 dates for the specific hybrid seed measured across one or more fields. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the R6 adjustment factor is calculated as a median of a posterior distribution of variation between observed maturity dates and estimated R6 dates for the specific hybrid seed measured across one or more fields. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the baseline maturity duration timeframe is configured based upon the type of the hybrid seed. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein creation of the grain dry down time series comprises:
 calculating a rate of change in moisture value for the specific hybrid seed at a specific time, where the rate of change in moisture equals a difference between the moisture content within the specific hybrid seed and the equilibrium moisture content at a specific time, multiplied by a drying coefficient;   determining the moisture content within the specific hybrid seed based on the R6 moisture content for the specific hybrid seed;   deriving the equilibrium moisture content from the equilibrium moisture content time series at the specific time calculated;   determining the drying coefficient based upon a function of relative maturity expressed in days;   compiling the calculated rate of change in moisture values to create the grain dry down time series.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the harvest recommendation is a date from the grain dry down time series where the grain moisture equals a target moisture value. 
     
     
         11 . One or more non-transitory storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of a method comprising the steps of:
 receiving data for an identification graphical user interface (GUI) over a digital data communication network from an agricultural intelligence computer;   displaying the identification GUI on a user device, the identification GUI providing an interface region for a user to input identification data for one or more agricultural fields;   after receiving input identification data from the user, transmitting the inputted identification data to the agricultural intelligence computer system;   receiving data for a data manager GUI over a digital data communication network from the agricultural intelligence computer system;   displaying the data manager GUI on the user device, the data manager GUI providing one or more regions for a user to input field data comprising a plurality of values representing crop seed data for the one or more agricultural fields identified;   after receiving input field data from the user, transmitting the inputted field data to the agricultural intelligence computer system;   receiving data for a recommendation GUI over a digital data communication network from the agricultural intelligence computer system; and   displaying the recommendation GUI, the recommendation GUI displaying a harvest time recommendation for harvesting crop grown from a specific hybrid seed planted in the one or more agricultural fields, based, at least in part, on the inputted field data and the inputted identification data.   
     
     
         12 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 11 , wherein the crop seed data includes digital data representing estimated relative maturity of the specific hybrid seed and R6 data for the specific hybrid seed that is based upon historical phenology modeling data. 
     
     
         13 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 11 , wherein the data manager GUI further includes a weather input region for a user to input weather data and the harvest time recommendation is based, at least in part, on the inputted weather data, and wherein the weather data comprises digital data representing values for historical average, maximum, and minimum daily temperature, historical daily dewpoint temperatures, historical average relative humidity, and historical saturated vapor pressure for a given temperature for the one or more fields. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 11 , wherein the harvest time recommendation is based on a grain dry down time series determined by the agricultural intelligence computer system that represents moisture levels of the specific hybrid seed, and the grain dry down timer series is based, at least in part, on creation of an equilibrium moisture content time series by the agricultural intelligence computer system which comprises:
 deriving an average daily dry-basis equilibrium moisture content fraction value at a specific time using computer execution of a digital representation of a Chung-Pfost equation;   compiling the equilibrium moisture content time series using derived average daily dry-basis equilibrium moisture content fraction values over a series of time data points.   
     
     
         15 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 14 , wherein the specific hybrid seed is a type of hybrid seed and the grain dry down time series is based, at least in part, on an R6 moisture content calculated by the agricultural intelligence computer system, and wherein calculation of the R6 moisture content comprises:
 deriving a dry down start date drying coefficient based, at least in part, on R6 data for the specific hybrid seed;   deriving an R6 adjustment factor based, at least in part, on relative maturity of the specific hybrid seed;   calculating an R6 moisture content for the specific hybrid seed using the dry down start date drying coefficient, the R6 adjustment factor, the relative maturity of the specific hybrid seed, and a baseline relative maturity of the type of hybrid seed.   
     
     
         16 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the dry down start date drying coefficient is calculated as a median of a posterior distribution of R6 dates for the specific hybrid seed, where the posterior distribution of R6 dates is a compilation of historical R6 dates for the specific hybrid seed measured across one or more fields. 
     
     
         17 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the R6 adjustment factor is calculated as a median of a posterior distribution of variation between observed maturity dates and estimated R6 dates for the specific hybrid seed measured across one or more fields. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the baseline maturity duration timeframe is configured based upon the type of the hybrid seed. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 15 , wherein creation of the grain dry down time series comprises:
 calculating a rate of change in moisture value for the specific hybrid seed at a specific time, where the rate of change in moisture equals a difference between the moisture content within the specific hybrid seed and the equilibrium moisture content at a specific time, multiplied by a drying coefficient;   determining the moisture content within the specific hybrid seed based on the R6 moisture content for the specific hybrid seed;   deriving the equilibrium moisture content from the equilibrium moisture content time series at the specific time calculated;   determining the drying coefficient based upon a function of relative maturity expressed in days;   compiling the calculated rate of change in moisture values to create the grain dry down time series.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 14 , wherein determining the harvest recommendation is based upon selecting a date from the grain dry down time series where the grain moisture equals a target moisture value. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the harvest time recommendation includes displaying a moisture content dry down graph for the one or more fields. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interface region of the identification GUI includes a map and inputting identification data for the one or more fields includes the user selecting specific regions graphically displayed on the map. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interface region of the identification GUI includes a map and inputting identification data for the one or more fields includes the user drawing boundaries on the map. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interface region of the identification GUI includes selectable field information data from an external database and inputting identification data for the one or more fields includes the user selecting field information data corresponding to the one or more fields. 
     
     
         25 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 11 , wherein displaying the harvest time recommendation includes displaying a moisture content dry down graph for the one or more fields. 
     
     
         26 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 11 , wherein the interface region of the identification GUI includes a map and inputting identification data for the one or more fields includes the user selecting specific regions graphically displayed on the map. 
     
     
         27 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 11 , wherein the interface region of the identification GUI includes a map and inputting identification data for the one or more fields includes the user drawing boundaries on the map. 
     
     
         28 . The one or more non-transitory storage media of  claim 11 , wherein the interface region of the identification GUI includes selectable field information data from an external database and inputting identification data for the one or more fields includes the user selecting field information data corresponding to the one or more fields.