IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,740,507
Granted Patent B2
US 12,740,507 · App. 18/281,014 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Method and system for providing a fertilizer recommendation and a measurement region and location

Inventor: Stefan Reusch (Dülmen, DE)
Assignee: YARA INTERNATIONAL ASA
A01C21/007A01C21/005A01G7/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,740,507
App. No.
18/281,014
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for providing a fertilizer recommendation for an agronomic field based on a direct measurement of a crop nutrient level at a measurement location, including receiving field and remote data. Optional approaches include adjusting the fertilizer recommendation based on at least one of the received field, farm and/or weather data. Alternatively, based on field data, at least one measurement region for carrying out a measurement for providing a fertilizer recommendation is determined. Optional approaches include receiving remote data, farm data and/or weather data to manage the improve the measurement region determination.

Claims (89)

1 . A method for providing a fertilizer recommendation for a crop with a handheld system comprising a crop nutrient detection device, wherein the method comprises steps of:

i) determining a crop nutrient content by carrying out at least a measurement M j by means of the crop nutrient detection device in at least one measurement location (x j , y j ) within an agricultural field;

ii) determining a crop nutrient detection device position at the at least one measurement location;

iii) receiving data, wherein receiving the data comprises receiving field data of the agricultural field and receiving remote spectral data from at least a plurality of wavelengths of the agricultural field;

iv) processing the data to obtain at least one coefficient indicative of a crop status within the agricultural field;

v) generating the fertilizer recommendation for the crop within the agricultural field based on the determined crop nutrient content, the determined position of the crop nutrient detection device and the at least one coefficient indicative of the crop status within the agricultural field,

wherein the fertilizer recommendation for a given location N REC (X i , y i ) based on a plurality of measurements M at locations (x j , y j ) is defined by the following equation:

N

REC

(

x

i

,

y

i

)

=

f

⁡

(

M

⁡

(

x

j

,

y

j

)

)

+

C

*

⁢

g

[

R

⁡

(

x

i

,

y

i

)

-

R

0

]

,

wherein f represents an agronomic calibration function that translates an at least one measurement value of the crop nutrient detection device into a baseline value fertilizer recommendation; g represents an agronomic calibration function that translates a value R of the at least one generated coefficient at (x i , y i ) into a respective location dependent fertilizer recommendation, R represents the value of the at least one coefficient or a combination thereof considered at position (x i , y i ), and C and R 0 represent calibration constants; and

vi) transmitting the fertilizer recommendation to one or more agricultural machines used to perform one or more fertilizing operations within the agricultural field.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the fertilizer recommendation comprises using the determined crop nutrient content in the at least one location as baseline value for the agricultural field, and adjusting the fertilizer recommendation at a given location of the agricultural field based on the value of the at least one coefficient in the given location.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the data further comprises receiving farm and/or weather data, and generating a fertilizer recommendation for the crop within the agricultural field further comprises adjusting the fertilizer recommendation based on at least one of the received field, farm and/or weather data.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fertilizer recommendation is used for controlling the one or more agricultural machines to perform one or more fertilizing operations within the agricultural field.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving remote spectral data further comprises receiving temporal series of the remote spectral data.

6 . A system for providing a fertilizer recommendation comprising a crop nutrient detection device and a mobile communication unit, configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the crop nutrient detection device position at the at least one measurement location is determined by receiving location data from a location unit of the crop nutrient detection device.

8 . A computer implemented method for determining at least one measurement region for carrying out at least one measurement with a crop nutrient detection device for providing a fertilizer recommendation to a crop, comprising steps of:

i) determining an agricultural field comprising the crop for which the recommendation is intended by receiving location data from a location unit of the crop nutrient detection device or a user input;

ii) receiving data, wherein receiving the data comprises receiving field data of the agricultural field and receiving remote spectral data from at least a plurality of wavelengths of the agricultural field;

iii) processing the data to obtain at least a coefficient indicative of a crop status within the agricultural field;

iv) determining at least one measurement region within the agricultural field for carrying out the at least one measurement based on the data and the at least one coefficient;

v) displaying, on a display unit, the at least one measurement region within the agricultural field for carrying out the at least one measurement based on the data; and

vi) receiving the at least one measurement from the crop nutrient detection device within the at least one measurement region.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein determining at least one measurement region further comprises determining at least one measurement location within the measurement region.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein determining at least one measurement region based on the at one coefficient further comprises determining a region wherein a value R of the at least one coefficient or a combination thereof is comprised within a range of at least one of the following: 0.7 R Avg <R<0.85 R Avg , or 0.85 R Avg <R<1.15 R Avg , or 1.15 R Avg <R<1.3 R Avg , wherein R Avg , is defined as an average value within the agricultural field of the at least one coefficient.

11 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein receiving field data further comprises receiving geographic identifiers regarding geometry of boundaries of the agricultural field, and wherein determining the at least one measurement region within the agricultural field further comprises determining the at least one measurement region based on the field data.

12 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the crop nutrient detection device comprises a location unit and the method further comprises receiving location data from the crop nutrient detection device and determining the at least one measurement region based on the location data.

13 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises receiving crop data and weather data, wherein determining the at least one measurement region within the agricultural field further comprises determining the at least one measurement region based on the crop and weather data.

14 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises receiving weather forecast data and wherein determining the at least one measurement region within the agricultural field further comprises determining the at least one measurement region based on the weather forecast data.

15 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises determining a sub-area within the agricultural field, where the at least one measurement region should be contained.

16 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises receiving farm data and determining the measurement region based on the farm data.

17 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises determining a crop nutrient content in at least one of the measurement regions and generating the fertilizer recommendation.

18 . A system for determining at least one measurement region for carrying out at least one measurement with a crop nutrient detection device for providing a fertilizer recommendation to a crop, comprising:

a display unit;

an input unit;

wherein the system comprises a processor configured to carry out a process comprising steps of:

determining an agricultural field comprising the crop for which the recommendation is intended by receiving location data from a location unit of the crop nutrient detection device or a user input to the input unit;

receiving data, wherein receiving the data comprises receiving field data of the agricultural field and receiving remote spectral data from at least a plurality of wavelengths of the agricultural field;

processing the data to obtain at least a coefficient indicative of a crop status within the agricultural field;

determining at least one measurement region within the agricultural field for carrying out the at least one measurement based on the data and the at least one coefficient;

displaying, via the display unit, the at least one measurement region; and

receiving the at least one measurement from the crop nutrient detection device within the at least one measurement region.

19 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein the display and the input unit are comprised in a Graphical User Interface configured to display the at least one measurement region.

20 . The system according to claim 19 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display a plurality of measurement regions and the system is further configured to receive an input for selecting at least one from the at least one of the plurality of measurement regions displayed.

21 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein the system is further configured to display weather forecast data, crop and/or field data associated with the at least one measurement region.

22 . The system according to claim 18 , wherein the system is further configured to receive farm data and display at least one scheduled task, wherein the system is further configured to display the at least one measurement region, and different itineraries which include the at least one measurement region and at least one of the scheduled tasks displayed.

23 . The system according to claim 19 , wherein the system is further configured to receive an input for determining at least one predetermined area of the agricultural field and the system is further configured to determine the at least one measurement region within the at least one predetermined area.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2023
From: REUSCH, STEFAN
To: YARA INTERNATIONAL ASA
Reel/Frame 064842/0380 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 21162510 · Mar 15, 2021 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240138291A1 · May 2, 2024
References Cited (16)
US 7746452B2 · Fuchigami · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 10175215B2 · Ozcan · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20070218556A1 · Harris et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20110295638A1 · Hunt et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120101634A1 · Lindores · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20180035605A1 · Guan · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180046735A1 · Xu et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200045898A1 · Arriaza et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210350478A1 · Ethington · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220015308A1 · Hassanzadeh et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
CA 2663917C · 2014 [cited by applicant]
CN 108575240A · 2018 [cited by examiner]
WO 2021122962A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
Nutini, Francesco, et al. “An operational workflow to assess rice nutritional status based on satellite imagery and smartphone apps.” Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 154 (2018): 80-92. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report issued in App. No. EP21162510, dated Sep. 13, 2021, 15 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability issued in App. No. PCT/EP2022/056462, mailing date Mar. 17, 2023, 20 pages. [cited by applicant]