Method and system for providing a site specific fertilizer recommendation
A system and method for adjusting a fertilizer recommendation for an agronomic field based on remote sensing and the determination of a position dependent yield for adjusting it. In different embodiments, different approaches for a nutrient specific fertilizer recommendation adjustment are envisaged, including the selection of a fertilizer product.
1 . A computer-implemented method for providing a fertilizer recommendation for a crop, the method comprising the steps of:
a. determining at least one agricultural field comprising at least one crop;
b. determining a fertilizer recommendation for the at least one crop in the at least one agricultural field;
c. adjusting the fertilizer recommendation for the at least one agricultural field, wherein adjusting the fertilizer recommendation for the at least one agricultural field comprises:
i. receiving position dependent yield data of the agricultural field, wherein the yield data comprises yield data from at least one prior crop season from the at least one agricultural field, wherein receiving the position dependent yield data comprises:
a. receiving remote data comprising image data of the at least one agricultural field from the at least one prior crop season;
b. generating at least one vegetation index indicative of a crop nutrition status for the at least one prior crop season for each pixel of the image data over a predefined time;
c. processing the at least one vegetation index over the predefined time comprising: receiving historic weather data, wherein a daily gross primary production value of a crop is determined based on the at least one vegetation index generated and the historic weather data, wherein the position dependent yield is determined based on a sum of the daily gross primary production value between crop growth start and harvest time;
d. determining a position dependent yield for the at least one prior crop season based on the generated and processed vegetation index over the predefined time;
ii. processing the yield data to determine a nutrient specific correction for the fertilizer recommendation;
iii. adjusting the fertilizer recommendation based on the nutrient specific correction.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the fertilizer recommendation comprises obtaining the fertilizer recommendation by means of remote or local sensing.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the daily gross primary production value of the crop is determined by a following equation:
Δ
G
P
P
=
C
R
U
E
*
f
a
p
a
r
*
C
P
A
R
*
f
T
;
wherein C RUE is a constant representing a radiation use efficiency, ƒ apar is a fraction of absorbed photosynthetic radiation determined as a function of existing chlorophyll pigments, C PAR represents incoming photosynthetic radiation, and ƒ T represents a temperature efficiency factor.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein processing the yield data further comprises determining abnormal yield areas within the at least one agricultural field based on the yield data, comprising:
i. determining at least one reference yield value for at least a part of the agricultural field,
ii. comparing the position dependent yield data values with the at least one reference yield value, and
iii. determining the areas wherein the position dependent yield data values differ from the at least one reference yield value for the at least a part of the agricultural field by a predetermined threshold;
wherein the method further comprises determining the nutrient specific correction based on the difference between the reference yield value and the position dependent yield data values.
5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining the at least one reference yield value further comprises:
i. evaluating yield data from a plurality of prior crop seasons,
ii. determining a season specific reference yield value for each of the prior crop seasons, and
iii. determining the at least one reference yield value based on the season specific reference yield values.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the nutrient specific correction further comprises determining the nutrient specific correction based on an absolute value of the position dependent yield data for the at least one prior crop.
7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the adjusted fertilizer recommendation is expressed for the different nutrients N, P and K as follows:
R
E
C
(
x
,
y
)
=
[
N
R
E
C
(
x
,
y
)
P
R
E
C
(
x
,
y
)
K
R
E
C
(
x
,
y
)
]
=
R
E
C
0
(
x
,
y
)
+
R
E
C
Yield
(
x
,
y
)
==
[
N
0
(
x
,
y
)
P
0
(
x
,
y
)
K
0
(
x
,
y
)
]
+
[
C
N
0
0
]
[
Yield
(
x
,
y
)
-
Yield
R
E
F
]
+
[
0
C
P
C
K
]
Yield
(
x
,
y
)
wherein REC 0 (x, y) represents a previously determined fertilizer recommendation.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the nutrient specific correction further comprises adjusting the nutrient specific correction based on a nutrient availability of different nutrients present in soil of the at least one field.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining at least a fertilizer product based on the adjusted fertilizer recommendation.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises producing a machine-readable script file based on the adjusted fertilizer recommendation for an agricultural apparatus to carry out a corresponding fertilizer application.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises implementing the adjusted fertilizer recommendation by means of an agricultural apparatus configured to carry out a fertilizer application.
12 . A system for providing a fertilizer recommendation comprising a device configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 .
13 . A data processing apparatus comprising means for carrying out the method of claim 1 .
14 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to carry out the method of claim 1 .
15 . A computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of claim 1 .