JP7813564B2 - Field management method, field management system, and field management program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a farm field management method, a farm field management system, and a farm field management program, which can be suitably used, for example, to manage fertilization in multiple farm fields.

It is desirable for the yield of crops grown in a certain field to be uniform regardless of location within the field. When yields vary depending on location within the field, a technique called variable fertilization can be used, in which the amount of fertilizer applied to areas with relatively low yields is greater than the amount applied to areas with relatively high yields. To implement variable fertilization, the yield is examined for each of several small areas into which the field is divided, and it is determined whether special measures such as variable fertilization are necessary. If necessary, a fertilization map is created that determines the amount of fertilizer to be applied to each small area based on the distribution of yields in the field.

In relation to the above, Patent Document 1 (JP 2020-141623 A) discloses a fertilization map creation device. This fertilization map creation device creates a fertilization map in which the amount of fertilizer to be applied to a field is determined for each small area obtained by dividing the field into a mesh, based on the growth conditions of the crops in each small area.

In Patent Document 1, a user inputs their user ID into a fertilization map creation device to select a specific field for which they wish to create a fertilization map from among the multiple fields owned by the user. The fertilization map creation device extracts multiple fields linked to this user ID from all fields managed by the fertilization map creation device, and the user selects from the extracted multiple fields a field for which to create a fertilization map. At this time, the user determines whether or not to create a fertilization map for that field by referencing various data linked to each field. Thus, in Patent Document 1, extracting fields that require special treatment from among the multiple fields managed is cumbersome.

JP 2020-141623 A

In view of the above circumstances, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a field management method, a field management system, and a field management program for efficiently extracting fields that are to be subject to fertilization as a special measure from among a plurality of fields included in a management target. Other objects and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Below, the means for solving the problem will be explained using the numbers used in the (Mode for carrying out the invention). These numbers have been added to clarify the correspondence between the statements in the (Claims) and the (Mode for carrying out the invention). However, these numbers should not be used to interpret the technical scope of the invention described in the (Claims).

According to one embodiment, the field management method includes acquiring (S1) distribution information representing the distribution of at least one of the crop growth conditions or crop yields in each of a plurality of fields (9), extracting (S2) fields (92, 93) from the plurality of fields (9) whose distribution satisfies predetermined conditions, and notifying the outside of the extracted fields (92, 93) (S3).

According to one embodiment, the farm field management system (1) includes an acquisition unit (221), an extraction unit (222), and an output unit (223). The acquisition unit (221) acquires distribution information representing the distribution of at least one of the crop growth conditions or crop yields in each of a plurality of farm fields (9). The extraction unit (222) extracts, from the plurality of farm fields (9), fields (92, 93) whose distribution satisfies predetermined conditions. The output unit (223) notifies the outside of the extracted farm fields (92, 93).

According to one embodiment, the field management program is executed to realize a predetermined process. This process includes acquiring distribution information (S1) that represents the distribution of at least one of the crop growth conditions or crop yields in each of a plurality of fields (9), extracting fields (92, 93) from the plurality of fields (9) whose distribution satisfies a predetermined condition (S2), and notifying the outside of the extracted fields (92, 93) (S3).

According to one embodiment, it is possible to efficiently extract fields that are the target of individual treatment from among multiple fields included in the management target.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a farm land management system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the configuration of a farm field management method according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of map information according to an embodiment. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an example of distribution information according to one embodiment. FIG. 4B is a diagram for explaining a method of dividing a farm field into mesh-like small regions in map information according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another example of distribution information according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating yet another example of distribution information according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of notification information according to an embodiment.

The following describes embodiments for implementing the field management method, field management system, and field management program disclosed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment)
1 , a farm land management system 1 according to one embodiment includes a farm land management device 2. The farm land management system 1 according to one embodiment may further include an external terminal 3. The farm land management device 2 and the external terminal 3 may be communicably connected via a network 4.

The farm field management device 2 according to one embodiment may be configured as a so-called computer. That is, the farm field management device 2 includes a bus 21, a computing device 22, a storage device 23, a communication device 24, and an input/output device 25. The bus 21 is a member and/or device that connects the computing device 22, the storage device 23, the communication device 24, and the input/output device 25 so that they can communicate with each other.

The calculation device 22 includes an acquisition unit 221, an extraction unit 222, and an output unit 223. The storage device 23 includes a field management program storage unit 231, a field data storage unit 232, and a distribution data storage unit 233. The field management program storage unit 231 stores the field management program. The field data storage unit 232 stores the field data. The distribution data storage unit 233 stores the distribution data.

By executing the field management program, the calculation device 22 realizes the processing of the acquisition unit 221, extraction unit 222, and output unit 223. In other words, the acquisition unit 221, extraction unit 222, and output unit 223 are virtual function blocks that perform processing realized by the calculation device 22 and the field management program working together. The processing of these function blocks will be described below.

The farm field management program may be read from an external recording medium 230 and stored in the farm field management program storage unit 231. The recording medium 230 may be a non-transitory and tangible medium.

The communication device 24 communicates with external devices, including the external terminal 3, via wireless and/or wired communication over the network 4, for example, under the control of the acquisition unit 221 and the output unit 223. The field management program may be received from the outside by the communication device 24 via the network 4 and stored in the field management program storage unit 231.

The input/output device 25 outputs information to the user and accepts operations input by the user. As an example, the input/output device 25 includes a display device that outputs images, a speaker that outputs audio, buttons that accept press operations, a microphone that accepts audio input, a touch panel that accepts touch operations and outputs images, etc.

In one embodiment, the external terminal 3 may be configured as a so-called computer. That is, the external terminal 3 includes a bus 31, a computing device 32, a storage device 33, a communication device 34, and an input/output device 35. The bus 31 is a member and/or device that connects the computing device 32, the storage device 33, the communication device 34, and the input/output device 35 so that they can communicate with each other.

The calculation device 32 includes a communication unit 321 and an output unit 323. The storage device 33 includes an external terminal program storage unit 331. The external terminal program storage unit 331 stores the external terminal program.

The arithmetic device 32 executes the external terminal program to realize the processing of the communication unit 321 and the output unit 323. In other words, the communication unit 321 and the output unit 323 are virtual functional blocks that perform processing realized by the arithmetic device 32 and the external terminal program working together. The processing of these functional blocks will be described later.

The external terminal program may be read from an external recording medium 330 and stored in the external terminal program storage unit 331. The recording medium 330 may be a non-transitory and tangible medium.

The communication device 34 communicates with external devices, including the farm land management device 2, via wireless and/or wired communication over the network 4, for example, under the control of the communication unit 321. An external terminal program may be received from the outside by the communication device 34 via the network 4 and stored in the external terminal program storage unit 331.

The input/output device 35 outputs information to the user, for example, under the control of the output unit 323. The input/output device 35 may also accept operations entered by the user. As an example, the input/output device 25 includes a display device that outputs images, a speaker that outputs audio, buttons that accept press operations, a microphone that accepts audio input, a touch panel that accepts touch operations and outputs images, etc.

With reference to the flowchart in Figure 2, an example configuration of a farm field management method according to one embodiment will be described. In other words, an example operation of the farm field management system 1 according to one embodiment will be described.

When the processing of the flowchart in Figure 2 begins, step S1 is executed. In step S1, the calculation device 22 of the field management device 2 executes the field management program to realize the processing of the acquisition unit 221, and the acquisition unit 221 acquires distribution information of the field. As an example, the acquisition unit 221 controls the communication device 24 to receive distribution information from an external server or the like via the network 4, and stores the received distribution information in the distribution data storage unit 233 of the storage device 23. The acquisition unit 221 may receive distribution information for each of multiple fields included in the management target of the field management system 1, and store the received multiple pieces of distribution information as distribution data in the distribution data storage unit 233.

The field distribution information acquired by the acquisition unit 221 is, for example, distribution information on yield data representing the yield of crops harvested in each of multiple fields included in the management of the field management system 1. Here, the distribution of crop yields in each field may be a set of values representing the yield per unit area in each of multiple small regions obtained by dividing each field into a mesh. Values representing past harvests, such as those from the previous year, may also be used.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of map information 51 according to one embodiment. In Figure 3, the area surrounded by a thick solid line indicates the location and range of multiple fields 9 included in the management target. Please note that the distribution information of the fields 9 described above is not information that represents the distribution of multiple fields 9 arranged on the ground.

After step S1, step S2 is executed. In step S2, the computing device 22 of the field management device 2 executes the field management program to realize the processing of the extraction unit 222, and the extraction unit 222 extracts fields 9 whose distribution information satisfies predetermined extraction conditions from among the multiple fields 9 included in the management target.

Here, we will explain a case where the distribution information is crop yield, the first extraction condition is whether the coefficient of variation, which represents the degree of variation in the distribution of yields in the field 9 of interest, is greater than a first threshold, and the second extraction condition is whether the average yield of the field 9 of interest is less than a second threshold. Here, the coefficient of variation is the percentage obtained by dividing the standard deviation by the average. When field 9 satisfies the first extraction condition, the variation in yields in field 9 is so high that it does not meet the specified standard. For such field 9, it is preferable to consider measures such as variable fertilization, in which a higher amount of fertilizer is applied in areas with relatively low yields and a lower amount of fertilizer is applied in areas with relatively high yields, in order to equalize the yield. Furthermore, when field 9 satisfies the second extraction condition, it is estimated that the yield of field 9 is so low that it does not meet the specified standard. In such a field 9, it is preferable to consider measures such as increasing the amount of fertilizer applied throughout the entire field 9 in order to improve the harvest yield. In the following specific example, we will explain the case where the first threshold is 30 and the second threshold is 500 kg/tan.

Figure 4A is a diagram showing an example of distribution information 61 according to one embodiment. In the example of Figure 4A, to clearly show the yield distribution information 61, a heat map is superimposed on the portion of the map information 51 shown in Figure 3 that includes the field 91 of interest. The heat map uses different colors to represent the yield in each of multiple small areas that are obtained by dividing the field 91 into a mesh in the first and second directions. Also, as shown in the legend information 71 in Figure 4A, the maximum value represented by the heat map is 800 kg/tan, and the minimum value represented by the heat map is 300 kg/tan. The actual distribution information 61 includes the numerical value of the yield in each of the small areas of the field 91.

Note that each of the multiple small regions shown in FIG. 4A may be a square of the same dimensions, as shown in FIG. 4B as an example. In the example of FIG. 4B, the first direction and the second direction are the east-west direction (or longitude direction) and the north-south direction (or latitude direction), respectively, and are perpendicular to each other. Also, in the example of FIG. 4B, the mesh spacing in the first direction and the second direction is the same. However, the example of FIG. 4B is merely an example and does not limit the embodiment. As another example, the first direction and the second direction do not have to be perpendicular, and the combination of the first direction and the second direction may be a combination other than the east-west direction (or longitude direction) and the north-south direction (or latitude direction).

The extraction unit 222 calculates the average value of the yield for all small areas of the field 91, and uses this average value to calculate the coefficient of variation of the yield for each small area of the field 91. The extraction unit 222 also determines whether the calculated coefficient of variation is greater than a first threshold, and whether the calculated average value is less than a second threshold. If the determination results in the coefficient of variation for field 91 being less than or equal to the first threshold and the average value for field 91 being greater than or equal to the second threshold, the extraction unit 222 does not include field 91 in the extraction targets.

In the case of Figure 4A, the coefficient of variation of the yield of field 91 is 13.04, which is less than the first threshold, so the variation in the yield of field 91 meets the standard and field 91 does not meet the first extraction condition. Furthermore, the average yield of field 91 is 689.6 kg/tan, which is greater than or equal to the second threshold, so the yield of field 91 also meets the standard and field 91 does not meet the second extraction condition. Therefore, the yield and variation of field 91 in Figure 4A are presumed to be normal, and field 91 is not included in the extraction targets for which special measures should be considered.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing another example of distribution information 62 according to one embodiment. In the example of Figure 5, in order to clearly show the yield distribution information 62, a heat map is overlaid on the portion of the map information 51 shown in Figure 3 that includes the field 92 of interest. The heat map uses different colors to indicate the yield in each of multiple small areas that are obtained by dividing the field 92 into a mesh. As shown in the legend information 72 in Figure 5, the maximum value represented by the heat map is 800 kg/tan, and the minimum value represented by the heat map is 300 kg/tan. The actual distribution information 62 includes the numerical value of the yield in each of the small areas of the field 92.

In the case of Figure 5, the average yield of field 92 is 548.7 kg/tan, which is above the second threshold, so the yield of field 92 meets the standard and field 92 does not meet the second extraction condition. On the other hand, the coefficient of variation of the yield of field 92 is 36.7, which is above the first threshold, so the variability of the yield of field 92 does not meet the standard and field 92 meets the first extraction condition. Therefore, although the yield of field 92 in Figure 5 is normal, it is presumed that special measures should be considered for the variability, and field 92 is targeted for extraction.

In contrast to field 92 in Figure 5, field 9, where the yield variation meets the standard but the yield does not, is also likely to require special consideration and is therefore targeted for extraction.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing yet another example of distribution information 63 according to one embodiment. In the example of Figure 5, to clearly show the yield distribution information 63, a heat map is overlaid on the portion of the map information 51 shown in Figure 3 that includes the field 93 of interest. The heat map uses different colors to indicate the yield in each of multiple small areas that are obtained by dividing the field 93 into a mesh. As shown in the legend information 73 in Figure 6, the maximum value represented by the heat map is 300 kg/tan, and the minimum value represented by the heat map is 100 kg/tan. The actual distribution information 63 includes numerical values for the yield in each of the small areas of the field 93.

In the case of Figure 6, the coefficient of variation of the yield of field 93 is 49.24, which is above the first threshold, so the variation in the yield of field 93 does not meet the standard, and field 93 meets the first extraction condition. Furthermore, the average yield of field 93 is 192.4 kg/tan, which is below the second threshold, so the yield of field 93 does not meet the standard, and field 93 also meets the second extraction condition. Therefore, it is inferred that special measures should be considered for both the yield and the variation in the yield of field 93 in Figure 6, and field 93 is therefore selected as an extraction target. Here, a field 9 that does not meet the standards for both yield and its variability, such as field 93 in Figure 6, may be extracted as a field 9 that requires priority treatment over a field 9 that does not meet the standards for either yield or its variability, such as field 92 in Figure 5.

Returning to FIG. 2, after step S2, step S3 is executed. In step S3, the computing device 22 of the field management device 2 executes the field management program to realize processing of the output unit 223, and the output unit 223 notifies the user of the extracted fields 92, 93. As an example, the output unit 223 notifies the user of the extracted information indicating the field 9 that has been extracted as a field for which special measures should be considered, out of the multiple fields 9 included in the management target, by displaying it on the external terminal 3.

The output unit 223 of the farm land management device 2 controls the communication device 24 to transmit the extracted information to the external terminal 3 via the network 4. The calculation device 32 of the external terminal 3 executes an external terminal program to realize the processing of the communication unit 321, and the communication unit 321 controls the communication device 34 to receive the extracted information. The communication unit 321 may store the received extracted information in the storage device 33. The calculation device 32 of the external terminal 3 executes an external terminal program to realize the processing of the output unit 323. The output unit 323 generates notification information for notifying the user of the extracted information and controls the input/output device 35 to output the notification information. The output unit 323 displays an image representing the notification information on a touch panel included in the input/output device 35, for example.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of notification information 52 according to one embodiment. The notification information 52 in Figure 7 highlights fields 92 and 93 extracted in step S2 from among the fields 9 shown in the map information 51 in Figure 3. Here, field 93 extracted in step S2 as a field 9 requiring priority attention may be highlighted more than the other extracted fields 92. Highlighting may be performed, for example, by using different colors or different line thicknesses.

Returning to Figure 2, when step S3 is completed, the processing of the flowchart in Figure 2 ends.

By highlighting in this way, the user can easily identify fields 92, 93 for which special measures should be considered, and can easily identify field 93 that has been extracted as a field 9 that requires priority measures among them. Therefore, the user can efficiently take priority measures for field 93 out of multiple fields 9, and can also efficiently take special measures for field 92. Specifically, the user can efficiently identify, among multiple fields 9, field 93 for which the amount of fertilizer should be increased overall, and fields 92, 93 for which variable fertilization should be performed to adjust the amount of fertilizer applied to each small area.

In other words, the farm field management device 2 according to one embodiment suggests to the user that the amount of fertilizer applied be increased overall and/or that variable fertilization be considered for fields 92, 93 that satisfy the extraction conditions from among the multiple farm fields 9 included in the management target.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the distribution information 61, 62, 63 of the field 9 is distribution information 61, 62, 63 of yield data that indicates the yield of crops harvested in the field 9. As a variation of this configuration, the distribution information 61, 62, 63 of the field 9 may be a distribution of the growth conditions of crops grown in the field 9. The distribution of the crop growth conditions may be, for example, distribution information of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) measured in each of a plurality of small regions obtained by dividing each field 9 into a mesh pattern. In this modification, in step S2 of the flowchart in Fig. 2 , the extraction unit 222 extracts a field 9 in which the degree of variation in NDVI of crops among a plurality of small regions included in the field 9 is greater than a first threshold as a field 9 for which measures such as variable fertilization should be considered. Similarly, the extraction unit 222 extracts a field 9 in which the average value of NDVI of crops in a plurality of small regions included in the field 9 is smaller than a second threshold as a field 9 for which measures such as an overall increase in the amount of fertilizer should be considered. Furthermore, the extraction unit 222 may extract a field 9 in which the degree of variation in NDVI of crops among a plurality of small regions included in the field 9 is greater than the first threshold and the average value of NDVI of crops in a plurality of small regions included in the field 9 is smaller than a second threshold as a field 9 for which measures should be considered.

Furthermore, as another modification of the configurations described as the above embodiments or their modifications, the distribution information 61, 62, 63 of the field 9 may include distribution information of fertilization data representing the amount of fertilizer applied in the field 9 in the past. Here, the distribution information of fertilization data may be fertilization data representing the amount of fertilizer applied to each of a plurality of small areas obtained by dividing the field 9 into a mesh pattern. If variable fertilization has been performed in the past and the degree of variation in the crop growth conditions and/or crop yields is greater than a predetermined threshold, the amount of fertilization for each small area may be adjusted based on the variable fertilization performed in the past to determine the next variable fertilization to be performed.

In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the extracted fields 92, 93 are notified to an external user via the input/output device 35 of the external terminal 3. As a variation of this configuration, the extracted fields 92, 93 may be notified to an external user via the input/output device 25 of the field management device 2. In this case, in step S3 of the flowchart in FIG. 2 , the processing of the output unit 223 may be realized by the calculation device 22 of the field management device 2 executing the field management program, and the output unit 223 may control the input/output device 25 to output the notification information 52. The output unit 223 may, for example, display an image representing the notification information 52 on a touch panel included in the input/output device 25.

In the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the coefficient of variation is used as a numerical value representing the degree of variation in the distribution of the yield of the field 9 under consideration. As a variation of this configuration, variance may be used instead of the coefficient of variation to represent the degree of variation. Variance is the square of the standard deviation. As an example, when the mean value is 689.6 and the standard deviation is 89.92, the coefficient of variation is 13.04 and the variance is 8086.30. Note that when variance is used instead of the coefficient of variation, the threshold used in the extraction conditions is appropriately changed from a threshold corresponding to the coefficient of variation to a threshold corresponding to the variance.

The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the various features described in the embodiments can be freely combined within the scope of technical compatibility.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Farm field management system 2 Farm field management device 21 Bus 22 Arithmetic device 221 Acquisition unit 222 Extraction unit 223 Output unit 23 Storage device 230 Recording medium 231 Farm field management program storage unit 232 Farm field data storage unit 233 Distribution data storage unit 24 Communication device 25 Input/output device 3 External terminal 31 Bus 32 Arithmetic device 321 Communication unit 323 Output unit 33 Storage device 330 Recording medium 331 External terminal program storage unit 34 Communication device 35 Input/output device 4 Network 51 Map information 52 Notification information 61, 62, 63 Distribution information 71, 72, 73 Legend information 9 Farm field 91 Farm field (field not subject to extraction)
92, 93 Field (field to be extracted)

Claims (6)

an acquisition unit acquires distribution information representing a distribution of at least one of a growth condition of a crop or a yield of the crop in each of a plurality of farm fields;
an extraction unit extracting a field from the plurality of fields, the distribution of which satisfies a predetermined condition;
an output unit notifying an outside party of the extracted farm field as a target for fertilization;
The obtaining includes:
acquiring, as the distribution information in each of the farm fields, a value representing at least one of the growth status of the crop or the yield of the crop in each of a plurality of small areas obtained by dividing each of the farm fields;
The extracting step comprises:
extracting the farm field that satisfies a first extraction condition that is satisfied when the degree of variation in the values in each of the plurality of small areas is greater than a first threshold, and a second extraction condition that is satisfied when the average value of the values in each of the plurality of small areas is smaller than a second threshold. The farmland management method according to claim 1,
The distribution information is
the data includes distribution information of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) representing the growth status of the crop in each of a plurality of small areas obtained by dividing each of the plurality of farm fields,
The predetermined condition is:
The farm field management method includes providing distribution information of the NDVI measured for each of the plurality of small areas of the farm field. The farmland management method according to claim 1 or 2,
The distribution information is
The data includes distribution information of yield data representing the harvest amount of the crop in each of a plurality of small areas obtained by dividing each of the plurality of farm fields,
The predetermined condition is:
the farm field management method includes the presence of distribution information of the yield data measured for each of the plurality of small areas of the farm field. The farmland management method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The notifying step includes:
notifying a field that satisfies both the first extraction condition and the second extraction condition in a highlighted manner so as to be distinguishable from a field that satisfies either the first extraction condition or the second extraction condition. an acquisition unit that acquires distribution information that represents a distribution of at least one of a growth status of a crop or a yield of the crop in each of a plurality of farm fields;
an extraction unit that extracts fields whose distribution satisfies a predetermined condition from the plurality of fields;
an output unit that notifies an outside party of the extracted farm field as a target for fertilization;
the acquisition unit acquires, as the distribution information in each of the farm fields, a value representing at least one of the growth status of the crop or the harvest amount of the crop in each of a plurality of small areas obtained by dividing each of the farm fields;
The extraction unit extracts the farm fields that satisfy a first extraction condition that is satisfied when the degree of variation in the values in each of the plurality of small areas is greater than a first threshold, and a second extraction condition that is satisfied when the average value of the values in each of the plurality of small areas is smaller than a second threshold. A farmland management program for implementing a predetermined process by executing the program,
The process comprises:
acquiring distribution information representing a distribution of at least one of a growth condition of a crop or a yield of the crop in each of a plurality of farm fields;
extracting fields whose distribution satisfies a predetermined condition from the plurality of fields;
notifying the extracted farm field to the outside as a target for fertilization;
The obtaining includes:
acquiring, as the distribution information in each of the farm fields, a value representing at least one of the growth status of the crop or the yield of the crop in each of a plurality of small areas obtained by dividing each of the farm fields;
The extracting step comprises:
extracting the field that satisfies a first extraction condition that is satisfied when the degree of variation in the values in each of the plurality of small areas is greater than a first threshold, and a second extraction condition that is satisfied when the average value of the values in each of the plurality of small areas is smaller than a second threshold.