Crop management method and system
A computer-implemented cloud-based agricultural enterprise management system and methods. The system comprises a plurality of modular components for receiving and processing data pertaining to agricultural production of commodities by an agricultural producer and for centralizing and storing the received and/or processed data in a single cloud-based database. The producer can provide to one or more third-party suppliers and/or service providers, authorized but restricted access to selected components of their agricultural enterprise management system and cloud-based database so that together, the producer, suppliers and service providers can effectively and cost-efficiently plan and manage the delivery of products and services during a crop production cycle, and the sale of harvested agricultural commodities. Separate modular components may be utilized for inputs exemplified by agronomy data, crop production inputs data, and crop growth and performance tracking.
1. A computerized method for regularly monitoring growth of a selected crop, the method comprising:
creating a first task;
collecting and storing into one or more cloud-based databases one or more scouting observations of a first site, the one or more scouting observations comprising at least a crop growth and development assessment and/or a detection of a presence of a plant pest and/or a detection of a plant disease and/or a detection of a nutrient deficiency;
automatically generating a scouting report based on the collected one or more scouting observations and associating the generated scouting report with the first task;
presenting the generated scouting report to a user;
receiving a first user input indicating at least one product for applying to the first site and a rate of application of the at least one product;
automatically calculating total requirements of the at least one product based on a total size of a site set, said site set comprising at least the first site;
automatically generating and storing into the one or more cloud-based databases one or more agronomic prescriptions for scheduling, delivery, and application of the at least one product in the site set and associating the generated one or more agronomic prescriptions with the first task, said one or more agronomic prescriptions comprising the rate of application of the at least one product and the calculated total requirements of the at least one product;
receiving and scheduling one or more first application events in accordance with the one or more agronomic prescriptions, the one or more first application events comprising application data, the application data comprising at least an area that the at least one product has been applied thereto and an actual rate that the at least one product has been applied;
tracking progress of the scheduled one or more first application events for monitoring progress of the first task;
recording and associating with the first task the application data of the received one or more first application events;
updating the first task based on the recorded application data; and
determining completion of the first task based on a comparison between the one or more agronomic prescriptions and the recorded application data.
2. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more agronomic prescriptions comprise one or more schedules for applying the at least one product in the site set.
3. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein said recording and associating with the first task the application data of the received one or more first application events comprises at least one of:
recording the application data of the received one or more first application events in a mobile app of the user and associating the recorded application data with the first task; and
recording the application data of the received one or more first application events in the one or more cloud-based databases and associating the recorded application data with the first task.
4. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:
notifying the user the completion of the first task.
5. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a second application event irrelevant to the one or more agronomic prescriptions;
creating a second task; and
recording the received second application event with the second task.
6. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:
estimating potential yields of the selected crop based on the generated scouting report; and
assessing whether or not an agronomic prescription should be prepared in order to improve crop growth and development.
7. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a second user input indicating a plurality of agrichemicals and application rates thereof for the site set;
automatically calculating total product requirements of each of the plurality of agrichemicals; and
including the plurality of agrichemicals and the calculated total product requirements thereof into the one or more agronomic prescriptions.
8. A computer system for regularly monitoring growth of a selected crop, the computer system comprising:
a memory;
one or more cloud-based databases;
a network or a communication connection; and
a processing structure coupled to the memory, the one or more cloud-based databases, and the network or the communication connection;
wherein the processing structure, the memory, the one or more cloud-based databases, and the network or the communication connection form a single computerized platform; and
wherein the processing structure is configured for:
creating a first task;
collecting and storing into one or more cloud-based databases one or more scouting observations of a first site, the one or more scouting observations comprising at least a crop growth and development assessment and/or a detection of a presence of a plant pest and/or a detection of a plant disease and/or a detection of a nutrient deficiency;
automatically generating a scouting report based on the collected one or more scouting observations and associating the generated scouting report with the first task;
presenting the generated scouting report to a user;
receiving a first user input indicating at least one product for applying to the first site and a rate of application of the at least one product;
automatically calculating total requirements of the at least one product based on a total size of a site set, said site set comprising at least the first site;
automatically generating and storing into the one or more cloud-based databases one or more agronomic prescriptions for scheduling, delivery, and application of the at least one product in the site set and associating the generated one or more agronomic prescriptions with the first task, said one or more agronomic prescriptions comprising the rate of application of the at least one product and the calculated total requirements of the at least one product;
receiving and scheduling one or more first application events in accordance with the one or more agronomic prescriptions, the one or more first application events comprising application data, the application data comprising at least an area that the at least one product has been applied thereto and an actual rate that the at least one product has been applied;
tracking progress of the scheduled one or more first application events for monitoring progress of the first task;
recording and associating with the first task the application data of the received one or more first application events;
updating the first task based on the recorded application data; and
determining completion of the first task based on a comparison between the one or more agronomic prescriptions and the recorded application data.
9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein said recording and associating with the first task the application data of the received one or more first application events comprises at least one of:
recording the application data of the received one or more first application events in a mobile app of the user and associating the recorded application data with the first task; and
recording the application data of the received one or more first application events in the one or more cloud-based databases and associating the recorded application data with the first task.
10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the processing structure is further configured for:
receiving a second application event irrelevant to the one or more agronomic prescriptions;
creating a second task; and
recording the received second application event with the second task.
11. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the processing structure is further configured for at least one of:
estimating potential yields of the selected crop based on the generated scouting report; and
assessing whether or not an agronomic prescription should be prepared in order to improve crop growth and development.
12. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the processing structure is further configured for:
receiving a second user input indicating a plurality of agrichemicals and application rates thereof for the site set;
automatically calculating total product requirements of each of the plurality of agrichemicals; and
including the plurality of agrichemicals and the calculated total product requirements thereof into the one or more agronomic prescriptions.
13. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions for regularly monitoring growth of a selected crop, wherein the instructions, when loaded into a memory of a single computerized platform and executed, cause a processing structure to perform actions comprising:
creating a first task;
collecting and storing into one or more cloud-based databases one or more scouting observations of a first site, the one or more scouting observations comprising at least a crop growth and development assessment and/or a detection of a presence of a plant pest and/or a detection of a plant disease and/or a detection of a nutrient deficiency;
automatically generating a scouting report based on the collected one or more scouting observations and associating the generated scouting report with the first task;
presenting the generated scouting report to a user;
receiving a first user input indicating at least one product for applying to the first site and a rate of application of the at least one product;
automatically calculating total requirements of the at least one product based on a total size of a site set, said site set comprising at least the first site;
automatically generating and storing into the one or more cloud-based databases one or more agronomic prescriptions for scheduling, delivery, and application of the at least one product in the site set and associating the generated one or more agronomic prescriptions with the first task, said one or more agronomic prescriptions comprising the rate of application of the at least one product and the calculated total requirements of the at least one product;
receiving and scheduling one or more first application events in accordance with the one or more agronomic prescriptions, the one or more first application events comprising application data, the application data comprising at least an area that the at least one product has been applied thereto and an actual rate that the at least one product has been applied;
tracking progress of the scheduled one or more first application events for monitoring progress of the first task;
recording and associating with the first task the application data of the received one or more first application events;
updating the first task based on the recorded application data; and
determining completion of the first task based on a comparison between the one or more agronomic prescriptions and the recorded application data.
14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more agronomic prescriptions comprise one or more schedules for applying the at least one product in the site set.
15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the application data further comprises dates of applications, application rates, and weather conditions.
16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein said recording and associating with the first task the application data of the received one or more first application events comprises at least one of:
recording the application data of the received one or more first application events in a mobile app of the user and associating the recorded application data with the first task; and
recording the application data of the received one or more first application events in the one or more cloud-based databases and associating the recorded application data with the first task.
17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when loaded into the memory of the single computerized platform and executed, further cause the processing structure to perform actions comprising:
notifying the user the completion of the first task.
18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when loaded into the memory of the single computerized platform and executed, further cause the processing structure to perform actions comprising:
receiving a second application event irrelevant to the one or more agronomic prescriptions;
creating a second task; and
recording the received second application event with the second task.
19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when loaded into the memory of the single computerized platform and executed, further cause the processing structure to perform actions comprising at least one of:
estimating potential yields of the selected crop based on the generated scouting report; and
assessing whether or not an agronomic prescription should be prepared in order to improve crop growth and development.
20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when loaded into the memory of the single computerized platform and executed, further cause the processing structure to perform actions comprising:
receiving a second user input indicating a plurality of agrichemicals and application rates thereof for the site set;
automatically calculating total product requirements of each of the plurality of agrichemicals; and
including the plurality of agrichemicals and the calculated total product requirements thereof into the one or more agronomic prescriptions.