Work support method, work support system, and program

Abstract

To provide efficient support for work related to agriculture.SOLUTION: A work support method includes: determining, for crops to be cultivated in a plurality of fields, an estimated yield or an estimated cost when cultivating a crop using a plurality of cropping types in each of the plurality of fields based on cropping type information including information on yields and costs required for cultivation in the plurality of cropping types and performance information indicating performance of cultivating the crop using any of the plurality of cropping types in the plurality of fields; determining a recommended cropping type for cultivating the crop for each of the plurality of fields based on the determined estimated yield or estimated cost; and outputting recommendation information indicating the recommended cropping type.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a task assistance method, a task assistance system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, when cultivating crops in a field, users had to decide which of several crop types to cultivate from among those with different costs and yields based on their own experience and intuition. In recent years, as part of the informatization of agriculture, technologies that support the selection of crop types have been developed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that displays the labor and capital required each month, as well as forecast data on the final balance, for the type and cultivation style of crop input by a user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5479770 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the technology of Patent Document 1, in order for a farm manager to decide which crops and cropping types to cultivate, he or she had to input a combination of candidate crops and cropping types for each of one or more farm fields, and then refer to the output prediction data to determine which crops to cultivate and with which cropping type. This resulted in a large workload for the user and inefficient work support.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to efficiently support agricultural work. Other objects can be understood through the embodiments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The means for solving the problems will be described below using the numbers and symbols used in the description of the embodiment of the invention. These numbers and symbols are added in parentheses for reference purposes to show an example of the correspondence between the description of the claims and the description of the embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the description in parentheses should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0008] The work support method of the embodiment includes determining an estimated yield or an estimated cost when a crop is cultivated using multiple cropping types in each of multiple fields, based on cropping type information (D1) including information on the yield and costs required for cultivation in multiple cropping types for a crop to be cultivated in multiple fields, and performance information (D2) indicating the performance of cultivating the crop using any of the multiple cropping types in the multiple fields, determining a recommended cropping type for cultivating the crop for each of the multiple fields, based on the determined estimated yield or the estimated cost, and outputting recommended information indicating the recommended cropping type.

[0009] The work support system (1) of the embodiment includes an estimation determination unit (120) that determines an estimated yield or an estimated cost when the crop is cultivated with the multiple cropping types in each of the multiple fields based on cropping type information (D1) including information on the yield and the cost required for cultivation in multiple cropping types for a crop to be cultivated in multiple fields and performance information (D2) indicating the performance of cultivating the crop with any of the multiple cropping types in the multiple fields, a recommended cropping type determination unit (130) that determines a recommended cropping type for cultivating the crop for each of the multiple fields based on the determined estimated yield or estimated cost, and an information output unit (150) that outputs recommended information indicating the recommended cropping type.

[0010] The programs (P1, P2) of the embodiments cause a computer to determine an estimated yield or an estimated cost for cultivating a crop using multiple cropping types in each of multiple fields, based on cropping type information (D1) including information on the yield and costs required for cultivation for multiple cropping types for a crop to be cultivated in multiple fields, and performance information (D2) indicating the performance of cultivating the crop using any of the multiple cropping types in the multiple fields; determine a recommended cropping type for cultivating the crop for each of the multiple fields, based on the determined estimated yield or the estimated cost; and output recommended information indicating the recommended cropping type. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the above aspect, agricultural work can be efficiently supported. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a work support system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a work assistance device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a work support system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of pattern information according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of farm field performance information according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the work support system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] (First embodiment) A work support system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the work support system 1 includes a work support device 10 and a terminal device 20. The work support system 1 manages information on a plurality of farm fields in which a target crop, such as sugarcane, is cultivated. Note that the cultivation of the crop includes the harvesting of the crop.

[0014] In each of the multiple fields, the target crop can be cultivated in any one of multiple cultivation types having different cultivation periods and cultivation methods. The multiple cultivation types include, for example, a new planting type including summer planting and spring planting, and a transplanting type. In the new planting type, the crop is newly planted in the field in spring if it is spring planting, or in summer if it is summer planting. On the other hand, in the transplanting type, the remaining stalks after harvesting the crop cultivated in spring or summer planting are grown again. When the target crop is cultivated in multiple cultivation types, the cost required for the work (for example, the amount of work and material costs) and the harvest amount per unit area (also called yield) are different. Since it is necessary to secure workers and prepare materials to start cultivation, a user such as a manager of all the multiple fields needs to determine in advance which cultivation type the target crop will be cultivated in the future (for example, the next cultivation period) based on the cultivation record in the field.

[0015] The work support system 1 of this embodiment determines an estimated value of the yield (also called the estimated yield) of the crop to be harvested when each crop type is adopted in each field in the next period and an estimated value of the cost (also called the estimated cost) based on information on the yield and cost for each crop type (for example, the crop type information D1 in FIG. 4) and information showing the cultivation performance in each field (for example, the field performance information D2 in FIG. 4). The work support system 1 determines a recommended combination that satisfies a standard in estimated profit from among possible combinations of a plurality of fields and a plurality of crop types based on the determined estimated yield and estimated cost. Then, the work support system 1 displays information indicating the recommended crop type corresponding to the recommended combination in a manner recognizable to the user. Therefore, the work support system 1 does not impose a burden on the user in operation and requires a small amount of data input when supporting the user in determining which crop type to select.

[0016] Furthermore, the work support system 1 of this embodiment excludes combinations of fields and cropping types that meet certain exclusion conditions from the process of determining recommended combinations. The exclusion conditions can be freely set by the user as conditions that are unacceptable to the producer in charge of the field or the manager of the field, such as, for example, a combination that includes a field with a yield below a certain threshold, a field with a workload exceeding a certain threshold, or a ratio of a specific cropping type to the whole that is higher than a certain threshold. For this reason, the work support system 1 can recommend cropping types that meet the needs of the user for each of multiple fields, rather than simply maximizing profits.

[0017] We will now explain the configuration of the work support system 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the work support device 10 included in the work support system 1 includes an input / output device 12, a calculation device 14, a communication device 16, and a storage device 18. The work support device 10 is, for example, a computer having a server function including a cloud.

[0018] Information for the arithmetic device 14 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 12. In addition, the input / output device 12 outputs a result of the processing executed by the arithmetic device 14. The input / output device 12 includes various input devices and output devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, a speaker, a touch panel, etc. The input / output device 12 may be omitted.

[0019] The communication device 16 is communicatively connected to the network NT and communicates with devices (e.g., terminal devices 20) external to the work assistance device 10 via the network NT. The communication device 16 transfers information acquired from one or more terminal devices 20 to the arithmetic device 14. The communication device 16 also transfers information generated by the arithmetic device 14 to the terminal devices 20. The communication device 16 includes various interfaces, such as a network interface card (NIC) and a universal serial bus (USB).

[0020] The storage device 18 stores a program P1 and the like including various data and instructions for the task support device 10 of this embodiment to execute the processes described below. The storage device 18 is used as a non-transitory tangible storage medium for storing these data and instructions. The program P1 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium M1. Alternatively, the storage medium M1 may be a storage device of an external server that stores the program P1. In this case, the program P1 may be provided as a computer program product that can be downloaded from the server.

[0021] The arithmetic device 14 reads and executes a program P1 including instructions and data for executing at least a part of the processes described below from the storage device 18. For example, the arithmetic device 14 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and the like.

[0022] The arithmetic device 14 implements functional units of the work support device 10, which will be described later, by reading and executing the program P1.

[0023] 3, the terminal device 20 included in the work assistance system 1 includes an input / output device 22, a calculation device 24, a communication device 26, and a storage device 28. The terminal device 20 is, for example, a mobile device such as a tablet or a smartphone. The terminal device 20 may be a stationary personal computer or a notebook computer.

[0024] Information for the arithmetic device 24 to execute processing is input to the input / output device 22. In addition, the input / output device 22 outputs a result of the processing executed by the arithmetic device 24. The input / output device 22 includes various input devices and output devices, such as a speaker and a touch panel. In addition, in the case where the terminal device 20 is a personal computer, the input / output device 22 may include a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a display, and the like.

[0025] The communication device 26 is communicatively connected to the network NT and communicates with devices external to the terminal device 20 (e.g., the work support device 10 or an external server) via the network NT. The communication device 26 transfers information acquired from the work support device 10 or the external server to the arithmetic device 24. The communication device 26 also transfers information generated by the arithmetic device 24 to the work support device 10. The communication device 26 includes various interfaces such as a transmitting / receiving device used for wireless communication such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or a cellular network, a NIC, a USB, etc.

[0026] The storage device 28 stores a program P2 and the like including various data and instructions for the task support system 1 of this embodiment to execute the processes described below. The storage device 28 is used as a non-transitory storage medium for storing these data and instructions. The program P2 may be provided as a computer program product recorded on a computer-readable storage medium M2. Alternatively, the storage medium M2 may be a storage device of an external server that stores the program P2. In this case, the program P2 may be provided as a computer program product that can be downloaded from the server.

[0027] The arithmetic unit 24 reads and executes a program P2, which includes instructions and data for executing at least a part of the processes described below, from the storage device 28. For example, the arithmetic unit 24 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and the like.

[0028] The arithmetic device 24 implements functional units of the terminal device 20, which will be described later, by reading and executing the program P2.

[0029] 2 and 3, the work support device 10 and the terminal device 20 realize the functional units shown in Fig. 4. As an example, the calculation device 14 of the work support device 10 realizes the functions of an information acquisition unit 110, an estimation determination unit 120, a recommended work style determination unit 130, an exclusion unit 140, an information output unit 150, and an information storage unit 160 by executing a program P1.

[0030] The information storage unit 160 stores, for example, crop type information D1 and field performance information D2 in advance before starting execution of the processing described below. The information storage unit 160 provides the stored information to the information acquisition unit 110. The information storage unit 160 may also temporarily store information acquired or generated by the information acquisition unit 110, the estimation determination unit 120, the recommended crop type determination unit 130, and the exclusion unit 140. The information storage unit 160 may provide the temporarily stored information to the information acquisition unit 110, the estimation determination unit 120, the recommended crop type determination unit 130, the exclusion unit 140, and the information output unit 150.

[0031] The crop type information D1 stored in the information storage unit 160 stores information indicating multiple crop types for cultivating a target crop in multiple fields managed by a user of the work support system 1. As an example, as shown in Fig. 5, the crop type information D1 stores information indicating the name of each crop type, information indicating a cultivation schedule, information indicating a standard harvest volume, and information related to costs in association with each other.

[0032] In each row of the cropping type information D1 in FIG. 5, the name of each cropping type that can be selected when cultivating a target crop (e.g., sugarcane) is stored in the "crop type" column. In addition, as information indicating a cultivation schedule, "cultivation start time" stores the time when cultivation with that cropping type starts (e.g., planting time), "cultivation period" stores information indicating the length of the period from the start of cultivation to harvest, and "harvest time" stores information indicating the harvest time. In addition, as information indicating a standard yield, "yield" stores information indicating a standard yield per unit area (e.g., 10 ares) of a field when cultivated with that cropping type. The numerical value of the yield per unit area is also called yield. In addition, as information indicating costs, "labor amount" stores information indicating a standard labor amount per unit area (e.g., total labor hours per 10 ares) required to cultivate the target crop with that cropping type. In addition, as information indicating costs, "material cost" stores information indicating a monetary cost per unit area (excluding labor costs) required to cultivate the target crop with that cropping type.

[0033] In the example of Figure 5, the first line defines the "spring planting" type for new planting, where cultivation begins in March and is harvested 12 months later in February. The fourth line defines the "rat-throwing" type for transplanting, where cultivation begins in March and is harvested 12 months later in February. With the "rat-throwing" type, the regenerated stalks of the crop that were just harvested are cultivated, so the amount of work and material costs per unit area are less than with the new planting type. The "yield" of the "rat-throwing" type is a certain percentage lower than the "yield" of the previous harvest (0.85 times in the example of Figure 5). Therefore, if cultivation is repeated using the "rat-throwing" type, the yield will gradually decrease.

[0034] In the example of FIG. 5, the crop type of "summer planting" is defined in the second and third lines as a crop type for new planting, which starts cultivation in August and is harvested in February of the following year after 18 months. The work support system 1 of this embodiment determines the recommended crop type for each period, with one year from March when the target crop starts cultivation to the following February as one period. Correspondingly, the crop type information D1 divides a crop type whose cultivation period spans multiple periods into a different crop type for each period and stores information indicating the standard cost and yield incurred in that period. In the example of FIG. 5, as information indicating the crop type of "summer planting" whose cultivation period spans 18 months, the crop type "summer planting (first period)" corresponding to the first period from August of the first year when cultivation starts to February of the second year and the crop type "summer planting (second period)" corresponding to the second period from March of the second year when harvesting is performed are stored in the second and third lines, respectively. A higher value is stored as the "yield" for "summer planting (2nd season)", which includes the harvest period, than for "spring planting". For this reason, the summer planting crop type may be more advantageous than the spring planting crop type when the "transplanting" crop type is subsequently selected. Note that since "summer planting (1st season)" does not include the harvest period, the "yield" is zero. However, in order to reflect the contribution of "summer planting (1st season)" to the harvest, the crop type information D1 may include information indicating a hypothetical yield when "summer planting (1st season)" and "summer planting (2nd season)" are averaged, as shown in parentheses in "yield". In addition, in order to estimate the profits for each period in a single summer planting crop type, including "summer planting (first period)" and "summer planting (second period)," the crop type information D1 may include information indicating the hypothetical amount of work and material costs when the costs incurred in one summer planting crop type are averaged over "summer planting (first period)" and "summer planting (second period)," as shown in parentheses in "work amount" and "material costs."

[0035] 4, the field performance information D2 stored in the information storage unit 160 stores information indicating a plurality of fields managed by the user of the work support system 1, and information indicating the past cultivation performance of the target crop in each field. As an example, as shown in Fig. 6, the field performance information D2 stores an identifier of each field, information indicating the producer in charge of the actual work in the field, information indicating the area of ​​the field, information indicating the past and current crop type of the target crop being cultivated, and information indicating past harvest performance, in association with each other.

[0036] In each row of the field performance information D2 in Fig. 6, as information indicating a field, the "Field" column stores a field identifier, "Producer" stores information indicating the name of the producer in charge of the field, and "Area" stores information indicating the effective area in which the target crop can be cultivated in the field (units ares in the example of Fig. 6). Note that "Producer" may also include information indicating the producer's continuous crop destination, such as the producer's email address.

[0037] In each row of the field performance information D2, as information indicating the cropping types adopted in the past and present, the "previous cropping type" column stores information indicating the cropping type adopted in the previous season, and the "current cropping type" column stores information indicating the cropping type adopted in the current season. When the "previous cropping type" or the "current cropping type" is "rat-throwing", the information indicating the "rat-throwing" cropping type may further store information on the number of periods in which the "rat-throwing" cropping type has been adopted consecutively in the field. In the example of FIG. 6, in the field with identifier F001, the "rat-throwing" cropping type was adopted in the previous season and the pre-pre-pre-season, so "rat-throwing (second season)" is stored in the "previous cropping type", and in the field with identifier F003, the "rat-throwing" cropping type was adopted consecutively from three seasons ago to the previous season, so "rat-throwing (third season)" is stored in the "previous cropping type".

[0038] In addition, in each row of the field performance information D2, information indicating the yield of the target crop cultivated in that field in the previous season is stored in the column "Previous season yield" as information indicating past harvest performance.

[0039] The information storage unit 160 in FIG. 4 may further store information necessary for the processing described below, including information indicating a value (also called unit price) indicating the selling price per unit weight (e.g., 1 ton) of the target crop, and information indicating the cost per unit amount of work (e.g., labor costs for performing 1 hour of work).

[0040] 4 acquires information necessary for the processing described below, such as crop type information D1 and field performance information D2 stored in the information storage unit 160. The information acquisition unit 110 provides the acquired information to the estimation determination unit 120, the recommended crop type determination unit 130, and the exclusion unit 140.

[0041] The estimation determination unit 120 determines an estimated yield and an estimated cost when a target crop is cultivated in each of a plurality of cropping types for each of a plurality of farm fields.

[0042] The recommended crop type determining unit 130 determines a recommended crop type to be recommended as a crop type for the next season in each farm field, based on the estimated yield and the estimated cost.

[0043] The exclusion unit 140 excludes, from among possible combinations of a plurality of fields and a plurality of cropping types, combinations that meet the exclusion conditions described below from candidates for recommended combinations.

[0044] The information output section 150 outputs recommendation information indicating the recommended production type determined by the recommended production type determination section 130.

[0045] The arithmetic unit 24 of the terminal device 20 executes the program P2 to realize the function of the display unit 210. The display unit 210 uses the input / output device 22 to display, for example, the recommended information output by the information output unit 150 in a manner recognizable by the user.

[0046] (Operation of work support system) The work support system 1, with the above-mentioned functional configuration, executes the process shown in Fig. 7 to support work in a farm field. The work support device 10 of the work support system 1 starts the process in Fig. 7 at a time determined by settings. For example, the work support device 10 starts the process in Fig. 7 a predetermined period before the start of the cultivation period of the target crop in a plurality of farm fields (for example, in the case of starting cultivation of sugarcane in March, on January 1 before the start of the previous harvest). Alternatively, the work support device 10 may start the process in Fig. 7 when receiving a user input via the input / output device 12 instructing the display of information recommending a crop type for the farm field.

[0047] 7, first, in step S1002, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires the crop type information D1 and the field performance information D2. For example, the information acquisition unit 110 acquires, from the information storage unit 160, the crop type information D1 and the field performance information D2 that have been input in advance by a user using the input / output device 12 and stored in the information storage unit 160.

[0048] Next, in step S1004, the estimation determination unit 120 determines the estimated yield and estimated cost for each field when each crop type is selected in the next period. For example, when the number of fields is n and the number of crop types is m, the estimation determination unit 120 determines the estimated yield and estimated cost for a combination of n fields and m crop types. Note that the estimation determination unit 120 may calculate the estimated yield and estimated cost for "summer planting (second period)" only for fields for which the "current period crop type" in the field performance information D2 in FIG. 6 is "summer planting (first period)."

[0049] For example, the estimation determination unit 120 determines, based on the cropping type information D1 and the field performance information D2, the estimated yield and estimated cost in the next period when a target crop is cultivated with each of the multiple cropping types registered in the cropping type information D1 of Fig. 5 in multiple fields registered in the field performance information D2 of Fig. 6. For example, the estimation determination unit 120 determines an estimated yield when a target crop is cultivated with a certain cropping type in a certain field in the next period, based on information indicating the area of ​​each field in the field performance information D2 and information indicating a standard yield per unit area in the cropping type information D1.

[0050] For example, in the case of a new planting type such as spring planting or summer planting, the yield when the target crop is cultivated in the next season using that type is not affected by the yield in the field in the current season or the previous season. Therefore, for the crop types "spring planting", "summer planting (first season)", and "summer planting (second season)", the estimation determination unit 120 calculates the estimated yield of each crop type in each field by multiplying the standard yield per unit area (10 ares) indicated by "yield" in the crop type information D1 in Fig. 5 by the area of ​​each field indicated by "area" in the field performance information D2.

[0051] In this embodiment, for the crop types "summer planting (first season)" and "summer planting (second season)", the estimation determination unit 120 determines the estimated yield, estimated cost, and estimated yield based on information indicating the average values ​​of the yield and cost for the summer planting crop type over two seasons for "summer planting (first season)" and "summer planting (second season)", which are shown in parentheses in "yield", "labor volume", and "material cost" in the crop type information D1 in Fig. 5. This makes it possible to calculate the estimated yield (described later) obtained by summer planting over two seasons for each season.

[0052] On the other hand, for a cropping type in which the remaining stubble is cultivated, such as "rat-throwing", the yield when the target crop is cultivated in the next season using that cropping type varies depending on the yield in the current season. Therefore, for "rat-throwing" in the cropping type information D1, the estimation determination unit 120 calculates the estimated yield for the next season based on the estimated value of the yield per unit area in the field this season (also called the estimated yield). For example, in the cropping type information D1 in FIG. 5, if the cropping type "rat-throwing" is adopted, the yield is expected to be 0.85 times the yield in the previous year (previous season). Therefore, for a field in which the "current season cropping type" in the field performance information D2 in FIG. 6 is "spring planting" or "summer planting (second season)", the estimation determination unit 120 determines the standard yield for that cropping type indicated by the "yield" in the cropping type information D1 in FIG. 5 as the estimated yield for the current season in that field. On the other hand, for a field where the "current crop type" in the field performance information D2 in Fig. 6 is "raising", the estimation determination unit 120 determines the previous year's yield indicated by "previous yield" multiplied by 0.85 as the estimated yield for this season. The estimation determination unit 120 may determine the estimated harvest volume when "raising" is selected as the crop type for the next season in that field as a value obtained by multiplying the determined estimated yield for this season by 0.85 by the area of ​​the field. Note that when the "current crop type" is "summer planting (first season)", "raising" cannot be selected as the crop type for the next season, so there is no need to calculate the estimated cost and estimated yield for the next season.

[0053] For example, the estimation determination unit 120 calculates the total amount of work required if each cropping type is selected in each field in the next period by multiplying the amount of work per unit area for each cropping type indicated by "work amount" in the field performance information D2 in Fig. 6 by the area of ​​each field. The estimation determination unit 120 also calculates the total work cost if each cropping type is adopted in each field in the next period by multiplying the calculated total amount of work by the cost per unit amount of work.

[0054] Furthermore, the estimation determination unit 120 calculates the total material cost required for each crop type to be selected in the next period for each field by multiplying the area of ​​each field by the material cost per unit area for each crop type indicated by "material cost" in the field performance information D2 in Fig. 6. Furthermore, the estimation determination unit 120 determines the total cost, which is the sum of the total work cost and total material cost calculated for the case where each crop type is adopted in each field, as the monetary cost for cultivating the target crop with that crop type in that field.

[0055] Next, in step S1006, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines a candidate combination to be processed. For example, if the target for which a crop type is to be recommended is only the crop type to be cultivated in the next season, and there are m crop types and n fields, there are theoretically m n possible combinations of fields and crop types. In the first processing of step S1006 after starting the processing of FIG. 7, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines a predetermined initial combination (for example, a combination in which "summer planting (first season)" is adopted in all fields) as a candidate combination to be processed. In addition, when step S1006 is executed for the second or subsequent time in the loop of steps S1006 to S1012 described later, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines a combination that has not been a processing target among the possible combinations as a candidate combination to be processed. As an example, in processing step S1006 for the second time, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 may determine as a candidate combination to be processed a combination in which “summer planting (first season)” is adopted in n-1 fields and “spring planting” is adopted in one field.

[0056] For fields where the cultivation period spans multiple years and the cultivation will not end by the start of the next period, such as when the "current crop type" in the field performance information D2 indicates "summer planting (first period)," only the subsequent crop type (e.g., "summer planting (second period)") is possible as the crop type for the next period. Therefore, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 excludes combinations in which other crop types are selected for that field from the candidate combinations.

[0057] Next, in step S1008, the exclusion unit 140 determines whether the candidate combination to be processed determined in step S1006 satisfies the exclusion condition. For example, if the candidate combination to be processed includes a farm field whose estimated yield per unit area determined in step S1004 is below a predetermined threshold, the exclusion unit 140 determines that the candidate combination to be processed satisfies the exclusion condition (step S1008; YES). In this case, the exclusion unit 140 excludes the candidate combination to be currently processed from the candidates for recommended combinations, and performs the process from step S1006 on the next candidate combination.

[0058] On the other hand, if the yield per unit area is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold in all fields of the candidate combination to be processed, the exclusion unit 140 determines that the combination to be processed does not meet the exclusion condition (step S1008; NO). In this case, the process of step S1010 is then executed.

[0059] Next, in step 1010, the recommended cropping type determination unit 130 determines the estimated profit of the candidate combination to be processed. For example, for each of the multiple fields, the recommended cropping type determination unit 130 determines the estimated profit of the candidate combination based on the estimated yield and estimated cost determined in step S1004 for the crop type of the candidate combination to be processed and the unit price of the target crop stored in the information storage unit 160. As an example, the recommended cropping type determination unit 130 determines the estimated profit for each field by subtracting the monetary cost determined in step S1004 from the estimated profit calculated by multiplying the estimated yield determined in step S1004 by the unit price of the target crop. Then, the recommended cropping type determination unit 130 may determine the cumulative number of the estimated profits determined for the multiple fields as the estimated profit of the candidate combination to be processed.

[0060] Next, in step 1012, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines whether or not there is an unprocessed combination. For example, if there is a combination for which the processing of steps S1006 to S1012 has not yet been executed as a candidate combination to be processed in the processing of Fig. 7 among the possible combinations of a plurality of fields and a plurality of crop types (step S1012; YES), the recommended crop type determination unit 130 repeats the loop of steps S1006 to S1012 for the next unprocessed combination. On the other hand, if all possible combinations have been processed (step S1012; NO), then step S1014 is executed.

[0061] In step S1014, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines a recommended crop type. For example, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines, from among possible combinations of a plurality of fields and a plurality of crop types, a combination whose estimated profit determined in step S1010 satisfies a predetermined criterion as a recommended combination that satisfies a predetermined recommended condition. As an example, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines, from among possible combinations of fields and crop types, the combination whose estimated profit determined in step S1010 is the largest as a recommended combination. Alternatively, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines, as a recommended combination, one or more combinations whose estimated profit is greater than a predetermined threshold. Then, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines, for each field, the crop type of the determined recommended combination as a recommended crop type.

[0062] Next, in step S1016, the information output unit 150 outputs recommendation information indicating the recommended crop type. For example, the information output unit 150 outputs the recommendation information indicating the recommended crop type determined in step S1014 to the terminal device 20 owned by a user who manages multiple farm fields.

[0063] Next, in step S1018, the display unit 210 of the terminal device 20 displays the recommended information indicating the recommended crop types. For example, the display unit 210 uses the input / output device 22 of the terminal device 20 to display the recommended crop types for each field in a manner that is recognizable by the user.

[0064] In this way, the work support system 1 of the present embodiment can display, in a user-recognizable manner, recommended information indicating the recommended cropping types for which the estimated profits across multiple fields meet a predetermined standard. Therefore, the work support system 1 reduces the user's operational burden and the amount of data input required to support the user in determining which cropping type to select.

[0065] (Modification) The configurations described in the embodiments are merely examples, and the configurations can be changed without impairing the functions.

[0066] For example, the hardware configuration of the work support system 1 may be different from that of the above-described embodiment. As an example, the work support device 10 may have a functional unit corresponding to the display unit 210 of the terminal device 20. In this case, the work support system 1 may be realized by the work support device 10 alone. Alternatively, the work support system 1 may include multiple devices having one or more of the information acquisition unit 110 to the information storage unit 160 of the work support device 10.

[0067] Furthermore, the processing executed by the work support system 1 may be different from that of the above embodiment. For example, the work support system 1 may target multiple crops. In this case, for example, the cropping type information D1 stores the necessary costs and the yield per unit area when multiple crops are cultivated in one or more cropping types as separate cropping types. Then, in step S1006 of FIG. 7, the recommended cropping type determination unit 130 may determine a candidate combination to be processed from possible combinations of multiple fields and multiple crops and cropping types, and in step S1010, determine an estimated profit based on information indicating the unit price of each crop.

[0068] Furthermore, the work support system 1 may determine recommended crop types for multiple future periods (e.g., period r), such as crop types for the next period and the period after that. In this case, in step S1004 of FIG. 7, the estimation determination unit 120 determines the total estimated cost and estimated yield for period r for each crop type combination (e.g., n to the rth power combinations when there are n crop types) in the case where multiple crop types are adopted in multiple periods, such as when the crop type "spring planting" is selected in the next period and the crop type "rafting" is selected two periods later. Then, in step S1006, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines an unprocessed combination among possible combinations of multiple fields and combinations of crop types for multiple periods as a candidate combination to be processed. In step S1008, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 may determine that the candidate combination to be processed satisfies the exclusion condition when there is a field whose average estimated yield in period r, which is the target period of recommendation, is below a threshold value. In step S1010, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 determines the total estimated profit for all fields over r periods when the candidate combination is adopted. Then, in step S1014, the recommended crop type determination unit 130 may determine the combination of crop types that maximizes the total estimated profit for r periods as the recommended crop type for m periods for each field.

[0069] Furthermore, the information output unit 150 may output to a device other than the terminal device 20 owned by the manager of the field. In this case, for example, in step S1016, the information output unit 150 may output the recommended information indicating the recommended crop type for each field to an email address in charge of each field indicated by the "producer" in the field performance information D2 in Fig. 6.

[0070] Furthermore, the estimation determination unit 120 may determine the estimated yield based on the actual value for each field. For example, if the field performance information D2 stores information indicating the actual yield value when the target crop was last cultivated in each field with each cropping type, or the average yield when the target crop was cultivated in each cropping type up to now, the estimation determination unit 120 may determine the estimated yield using this actual yield value instead of the standard yield indicated by the cropping type information D1 in step S1004 of FIG. 7.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the exclusion unit 140 excludes combinations in which there is a field whose yield is less than a predetermined threshold from the candidates for the recommended combination. However, instead of or in addition to this, the exclusion unit 140 may exclude combinations that satisfy other exclusion conditions from the candidates for the recommended combination. As an example, in step S1008 of FIG. 7, when the total monetary cost of the candidate combination to be processed is greater than a predetermined threshold, the exclusion unit 140 may determine the combination as a combination that satisfies the exclusion condition. Alternatively, in a case where the same producer is in charge of multiple fields, in step S1008 of FIG. 7, when the amount of work of the fields in the candidate combination to be processed that are in charge of by the same producer is greater than a predetermined threshold, the exclusion unit 140 may determine the combination as a combination that satisfies the exclusion condition. For example, in step S1008 of FIG. 7, the estimation determination unit 120 determines the cumulative amount of work of multiple fields in charge of each producer for each producer indicated by "Producer" in the field performance information D2 in FIG. 6. Then, the exclusion unit 140 may determine that a candidate combination to be processed satisfies the exclusion condition if the cumulative amount of work determined in step S1004 for multiple fields managed by each producer is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

[0072] The exclusion unit 140 may determine in step S1008 that the exclusion condition is met when the cropping types previously adopted in a plurality of fields and the cropping type of the candidate combination to be processed do not satisfy a predetermined criterion (e.g., the frequency of cultivation with the same or corresponding cropping type is lower than a predetermined threshold). For example, the exclusion unit 140 may determine that the combination meets the exclusion condition when it is determined that the cropping type of "rattle planting" will be used more than a predetermined threshold number of times (e.g., three times) consecutively if the candidate combination is adopted based on the cropping types previously adopted as indicated by the "previous cropping type" and "current cropping type" in the field performance information D2 and the cropping type of the candidate combination. Alternatively, the exclusion unit 140 may determine that the combination meets the exclusion condition when the candidate combination is adopted and there is a field in which the cropping type of new planting or rattle planting exceeds a predetermined ratio (e.g., 60%) in the past 10 periods.

[0073] In addition, the exclusion unit 140 may determine that a candidate combination to be processed, in which the proportion of any of the cropping types satisfies the exclusion condition, satisfies the exclusion condition in step S1008. For example, the exclusion unit 140 may determine that a combination satisfies the exclusion condition when more than half of all fields in the candidate combination to be processed adopt the cropping type of "raising". Alternatively, the exclusion unit 140 may determine that a combination satisfies the exclusion condition when less than 10% of all fields in the candidate combination to be processed adopt the cropping type of "spring planting".

[0074] In the above embodiment, the recommended combination may be determined based on something other than the estimated profit. For example, in step S1014 of FIG. 7, the recommended cultivation type determination unit 130 may determine a combination with the highest estimated profit before changing the estimated profit and subtracting the monetary cost as the recommended combination. Alternatively, the recommended cultivation type determination unit 130 may determine a recommended combination based on an index value including the estimated profit and a penalty value that occurs when the exclusion condition is satisfied. In this case, for example, when the recommended cultivation type determination unit 130 determines in step S1008 that the candidate combination to be processed satisfies the exclusion condition, instead of excluding the combination, in step S1010, it calculates an evaluation value by subtracting a predetermined penalty value from the estimated profit. Then, in step S1014, the recommended cultivation type determination unit 130 may determine a combination with this evaluation value higher (or the largest) than a predetermined threshold as the recommended combination.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the recommended cropping type determination unit 130 calculates the estimated profit for all possible combinations and determines the recommended combination. However, instead of this, the recommended cropping type determination unit 130 may obtain the maximum value of the above evaluation value by, for example, the steepest descent method or the stochastic gradient descent method, and determine the combination corresponding to the maximum value as the recommended combination.

[0076] Furthermore, in the processing of step S1002, the information acquisition unit 110 may acquire the crop type information D1 and the field performance information D2 from a source other than the information storage unit 160. For example, if a service that provides the crop type information D1 and the field performance information D2 (e.g., an information management service of a manufacturer of agricultural machinery that works in the field) is available, the information acquisition unit 110 may acquire the crop type information D1 and the field performance information D2 from an external server that provides the service.

[0077] (Additional Note) The work assistance method, work assistance system, and program described in each embodiment can be described as follows.

[0078] A work assistance method according to a first aspect includes: Determining an estimated yield or an estimated cost of cultivating a crop in a plurality of fields using a plurality of cropping types, based on cropping type information including information on yields and costs required for cultivation in a plurality of cropping types and performance information showing the performance of cultivating the crop in any of the plurality of cropping types in the plurality of fields; determining a recommended crop type for cultivating the crop for each of the plurality of farm fields based on the determined estimated yield or the determined estimated cost; outputting recommendation information indicating the recommended crop type; Includes.

[0079] A work support method according to a second aspect is the work support method according to the first aspect, The plurality of cropping types includes one or more of a new planting cropping type and a transplanting cropping type.

[0080] A work support method according to a third aspect is the work support method according to the first or second aspect, Determining the recommended crop type, determining a recommended combination among possible combinations of the plurality of fields and the plurality of cropping types, in which the estimated yield or the estimated cost in the plurality of fields when the crop is cultivated in the combination satisfies a recommended condition; determining the crop type of the determined recommended combination as the recommended crop type; Includes.

[0081] A work support method according to a fourth aspect is the work support method according to the third aspect, determining the estimated harvest or the estimated cost includes determining both the estimated harvest and the estimated cost; Determining the recommended combination, determining an estimated profit when the crop is cultivated in each of the possible combinations of the plurality of fields and the plurality of cropping types based on information indicating a unit price of the crop and the determined estimated yield and estimated cost; determining, from among the possible combinations, a combination having the estimated profit greater than a first threshold as a combination that satisfies the recommendation condition; Includes.

[0082] A work support method according to a fifth aspect is the work support method according to the third or fourth aspect, The method further includes excluding, from among the possible combinations, combinations including a field and a cropping type for which the determined estimated yield or the determined estimated cost satisfies an exclusion condition, from candidates for the recommended combination.

[0083] A work support method according to a sixth aspect is the work support method according to the fifth aspect, The exclusion condition is that the estimated yield when the possible combination of field and cropping type is cultivated with the crop is less than a second threshold value.

[0084] A work support method according to a seventh aspect is the work support method according to the fifth or sixth aspect, The exclusion condition is that the estimated cost of cultivating the crop in the possible combination of field and cropping type exceeds a third threshold.

[0085] A work support method according to an eighth aspect is the work support method according to any one of the third to seventh aspects, The method further includes excluding from the candidates for the recommended crop types, among the possible combinations, any combination in which a crop type previously adopted in the multiple fields indicated by the performance information and the possible combination of crop types satisfy an exclusion condition.

[0086] A work support method according to a ninth aspect is the work support method according to the eighth aspect, The exclusion condition is that, when the possible combination of cropping types is adopted, the frequency with which the crop is cultivated in the same field with the same cropping type during a specified period is higher than a fourth threshold value.

[0087] A work support method according to a tenth aspect is the work support method according to any one of the third to ninth aspects, The method further includes excluding from the candidates for the recommended crop type, a combination in which the proportion of any one of the plurality of crop types satisfies an exclusion condition, from the possible combinations.

[0088] A work support method according to an eleventh aspect is the work support method according to the tenth aspect, The exclusion condition is that, when the possible combination of cropping types is adopted, the proportion of the crops cultivated in the same cropping type in the multiple farm fields is higher than a fifth threshold value.

[0089] A work assistance system according to a twelfth aspect includes: an estimation determination unit that determines an estimated yield or an estimated cost when a crop is cultivated in a plurality of fields using a plurality of cropping types, based on cropping type information including information on yields and costs required for cultivation in a plurality of cropping types for a crop to be cultivated in a plurality of fields, and performance information indicating performance of cultivating the crop in any of the plurality of cropping types in the plurality of fields; a recommended cropping type determination unit that determines a recommended cropping type for cultivating the crop for each of the plurality of farm fields based on the determined estimated yield or the determined estimated cost; an information output unit that outputs recommended information indicating the recommended cultivation type; Equipped with.

[0090] A program according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention comprises: On the computer, Determining an estimated yield or an estimated cost when a crop is cultivated in a plurality of fields using a plurality of cropping types, based on cropping type information including information on yields and costs required for cultivation in a plurality of cropping types and performance information showing performance of cultivating the crop in the plurality of fields using any of the plurality of cropping types; determining a recommended crop type for cultivating the crop for each of the plurality of farm fields based on the determined estimated yield or the determined estimated cost; outputting recommendation information indicating the recommended crop type; Execute the command. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1 Work support system 10 Work support device 12 Input / Output Devices 14 Arithmetic unit 16 Communication equipment 18 Storage device 110 Information Acquisition Department 120 Estimation determining section 130 Recommended Crop Type Determination Department 140 Exclusion section 150 Information output section 160 Information storage section 20 Terminal Equipment 22 Input / Output Devices 24 Arithmetic unit 26 Communication Equipment 28 Storage device 210 Display section D1 Model Information D2 Field performance information NT Network

Claims

1. Determining an estimated yield or an estimated cost of cultivating a crop in a plurality of fields using a plurality of cropping types, based on cropping type information including information on yields and costs required for cultivation in a plurality of cropping types and performance information showing the performance of cultivating the crop in any of the plurality of cropping types in the plurality of fields; determining a recommended crop type for cultivating the crop for each of the plurality of farm fields based on the determined estimated yield or the determined estimated cost; outputting recommendation information indicating the recommended crop type; Including, Work support method.

2. The plurality of crop types include one or more new planting crop types and a transplanting crop type; The work support method according to claim 1 .

3. Determining the recommended crop type, determining a recommended combination among possible combinations of the plurality of fields and the plurality of cropping types, in which the estimated yield or the estimated cost in the plurality of fields when the crop is cultivated in the combination satisfies a recommended condition; determining the crop type of the determined recommended combination as the recommended crop type; Including, The work support method according to claim 1 .

4. determining the estimated harvest or the estimated cost includes determining both the estimated harvest and the estimated cost; Determining the recommended combination, determining an estimated profit when the crop is cultivated in each of the possible combinations of the plurality of fields and the plurality of cropping types based on information indicating a unit price of the crop and the determined estimated yield and estimated cost; determining, from among the possible combinations, a combination in which the estimated profit is greater than a first threshold as a combination that satisfies the recommendation condition; Including, The work support method according to claim 3.

5. The method further includes excluding, from among the possible combinations, combinations including a field and a cropping type for which the determined estimated yield or the estimated cost falls under an exclusion condition, from candidates for the recommended combination. The work support method according to claim 3.

6. The exclusion condition is that the estimated yield when the possible combination of the field and the cropping type is cultivated with the crop is less than a second threshold value. The work support method according to claim 5 .

7. The exclusion condition is that the estimated cost of cultivating the crop in the possible combination of field and crop type exceeds a third threshold value. The work support method according to claim 5 .

8. The method further includes excluding, from the candidates for the recommended crop type, a combination in which a crop type previously adopted in the plurality of fields indicated by the performance information and the possible combination of crop types satisfy an exclusion condition. The work support method according to claim 3.

9. The exclusion condition is that, when the possible combination of cropping types is adopted, the frequency with which the crop is cultivated in the same field with the same cropping type during a predetermined period is higher than a fourth threshold value. The work support method according to claim 8.

10. The method further includes excluding, from the candidates for the recommended crop type, a combination in which a ratio of any one of the plurality of crop types satisfies an exclusion condition among the possible combinations. The work support method according to claim 3.

11. The exclusion condition is that a ratio of the crops cultivated in the same cropping type in the plurality of fields is higher than a fifth threshold value when the possible combination of cropping types is adopted. The work support method according to claim 10.

12. an estimation determination unit that determines an estimated yield or an estimated cost when a crop is cultivated in a plurality of fields using a plurality of cropping types, based on cropping type information including information on yields and costs required for cultivation in a plurality of cropping types for a crop to be cultivated in a plurality of fields, and performance information indicating performance of cultivating the crop in any of the plurality of cropping types in the plurality of fields; a recommended cropping type determination unit that determines a recommended cropping type for cultivating the crop for each of the plurality of farm fields based on the determined estimated yield or the determined estimated cost; an information output unit that outputs recommended information indicating the recommended cultivation type; Equipped with Work support system.

13. On the computer, Determining an estimated yield or an estimated cost when a crop is cultivated in a plurality of fields using a plurality of cropping types, based on cropping type information including information on yields and costs required for cultivation in a plurality of cropping types and performance information showing performance of cultivating the crop in the plurality of fields using any of the plurality of cropping types; determining a recommended crop type for cultivating the crop for each of the plurality of farm fields based on the determined estimated yield or the determined estimated cost; outputting recommendation information indicating the recommended crop type; A program for executing the above.

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