Continual crop development profiling using dynamical extended range weather forecasting with routine remotely-sensed validation imagery

1. A method comprising:

inputting a plurality of input data that includes crop-specific information, planting specifications, remotely-sensed imagery, and meteorological data that includes dynamical extended range weather forecast information, the dynamical extended range weather forecast information including a plurality of weather forecasts generated by independent sources, and covering a time period extending from a current day to a maturity date for a crop in a particular field;

modeling the input data in a plurality of data processing modules within a computing environment in which the plurality of data processing modules are executed in conjunction with, and performed on, at least one computer processor, the data processing modules configured to profile crop development through to a maturity stage by modeling crop growth over the course of a crop growing season, by

developing a specific crop growth model for analyzing past and present growth stages of the crop, to obtain at least one temporal estimate of crop growth for a remainder of the crop growing season, the specific crop growth model developed by

1) applying a growing degree day model to historical and current weather information for a location of the particular field to generate a profile of past and present growth stages of the crop, 2) assessing the past and present growth stages of the crop on one or more dates by analyzing the remotely-sensed imagery of the crop captured on the one or more dates, 3) adjusting the profile of past and present growth stages based on assessments of the past and present growth stages on the one or more dates, and 4) generating a plurality of independent forecast profiles of further crop growth, starting from the current date and extending through to the time of crop maturity, by applying the plurality of dynamical extended range weather forecasts generated by independent sources in the growing degree day model; and

applying the plurality of independent forecast profiles of further crop growth to identify ranges of future dates on which the crop will reach remaining crop growth stages in the crop growing season; and

generating one or more of a crop growth action report and a crop summary report representing the at least one temporal estimate of crop growth for the remainder of the crop growing season.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crop-specific information includes a crop type and a variety of crop type that determines a set of growth characteristics of the crop that enables the data processing modules to profile crop development, the set of growth characteristics including a timing to growth of each crop growth stage, nutrient requirements per crop growth stage, pest and disease susceptibility per crop growth stage, and one or more temperature thresholds for crop growth conditions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the meteorological data further includes observed weather data for a geographical area including the crop's location, and current field-level weather data for the geographical area including the crop's location, the observed weather data and the current field-level weather data being repetitively applied during a time period where the crop maturity date has not yet been reached.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising generating an accumulated growing degree day estimate on a daily basis until a total accumulated growing degree day estimate exceeds the time period extending through to the crop maturity date.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the remotely-sensed imagery using a normalized difference vegetative index to evaluate at least one of plant health, biomass, and nutrient content.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a notification to a user when a validation of an estimate of crop growth stages produces a change in the map of the crop's location.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a map of the crop's location to one or more application protocol interface modules each configured to generate an advisory service for agriculture management applications.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a map of the crop's location to one or more application protocol interface modules each configured to provide a crop alert to a user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remotely-sensed imagery of the crop's location is captured by one or more unmanned aerial systems.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remotely-sensed imagery of the crop's location is captured by one or more satellite systems.