Apparatus for generating application plans to control pests in fields

Abstract

The present invention relates to digital agriculture. Apparatus (10) for generating an application plan for controlling pests on a field to support seasonal recommendations and planning. Apparatus includes an input unit (12), a processing unit (14), and an output unit (16). The input unit (12) is configured to receive information on the expected presence of pests in the coming period. The processing unit (14) is configured to determine a rough control schedule including a plurality of control periods for controlling pests, based on information on the expected presence of pests in the coming period, and to determine at least one program of control treatments to be sequentially applied to the field to control pests in the plurality of control periods, based on product data including information on a plurality of agricultural products, wherein each control period is associated with at least one control treatment selected from chemical treatments or mechanical treatments, and to generate an application plan including the determined rough control schedule and / or at least one program of control treatments having a plurality of control periods. The output unit (16) is configured to provide the generated application plan.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to digital agriculture. In particular, the present invention relates to a computer-implemented method and apparatus, a target management system, a computer program product, and a computer-readable storage for determining a sequence of crop protection treatments to be carried out seasonally in a field. 【Background Art】 【0002】 In crop protection, products, active ingredients, and modes of action are suitable for controlling a limited number of targets, such as weeds, diseases, pests, etc. under specific conditions. During a season, the presence or expected presence of a target is determined, and appropriate crop protection products can be selected ad hoc to control the target. However, continued ad hoc use of products, active ingredients, and / or combinations of modes of action over multiple applications may provide better control, but the continuous ad hoc selection of crop protection products may not achieve the best control over a season. In addition, the continuous ad hoc selection of crop protection products may apply more doses than necessary. 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0003】 There may be a need to provide a recommendation method and system to assist seasonal recommendations and planning. 【Means for Solving the Problems】 【0004】 The object of the present invention is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims, and further embodiments are incorporated in the dependent claims. 【0005】 According to a first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for generating an application plan for controlling pests in a field. The apparatus includes an input unit, a processing unit, and an output unit. The input unit is configured to receive information regarding the expected presence of pests in the coming period. The processing unit is configured to determine a rough control schedule, including a plurality of control periods for controlling pests, based on the information regarding the expected presence of pests in the coming period. The processing unit is further configured to determine, based on product data including information regarding a plurality of agricultural products, at least one program of control treatments to be sequentially applied to the field to control pests in the plurality of control periods. Each control period is associated with at least one respective control treatment selected from chemical treatments or mechanical treatments. In other words, each control period may be associated with a respective chemical treatment or mechanical treatment. The processing unit is further configured to generate an application plan including the determined rough control schedule and / or at least one program of control treatments. The output unit is configured to provide the generated application plan. 【0006】 In some embodiments, the application plan may be generated before the start of the season or before the start of the crop protection program. 【0007】 Therefore, one or more pests (e.g., weeds, diseases, insects) expected in the field are estimated, for example, before the start of the season or before the start of a crop protection program. One or more expected pests allow for the determination of a rough control schedule, including a series of control periods for controlling one or more pests. The rough control schedule is then further detailed into a program (e.g., a herbicide program, a fungicide program, a pesticide program, etc.) that includes a detailed sequence of mechanical treatments and / or chemical applications to be applied during these control periods. Thus, an application plan can be generated based on the program. The generation of the application plan may be carried out at any point, for example, before the start of the season for agricultural, logistical, and / or commercial reasons. In one example, the period covered by the rough control schedule may substantially correspond to a season. Therefore, the application plan may be provided before the start of the rough control schedule. 【0008】 Figure 1 shows an exemplary apparatus for generating application plans to control pests. 【0009】 In some examples, the processing unit is configured to determine the results of controlling pests using at least one program of control measures, and to generate an application plan if the results of controlling the pests meet predefined control objectives for the future period. 【0010】 Therefore, the device can take into account the overall expected program product performance over the entire period to come and can pair different mechanical and / or chemical applications over different control periods to achieve predefined control objectives after the control treatment program has been implemented. The control objective may be a predefined growth target for crop plants in the field under predicted environmental conditions. The predefined growth objective may be defined as a predefined quantity of crop grown. Alternatively or additionally, the control objective may be a predefined spread level to be achieved after the application of at least one program of control treatment over the period to come. 【0011】 In some examples, the input unit is configured to receive one or more of the following field information: soil data indicating the field's soil condition, crop variety data indicating crops currently growing or planned to grow in the field during the upcoming period, environmental data indicating the environmental conditions on the field during the upcoming period, crop management data indicating the field's agricultural product application history, and field location data. The processing unit is configured to determine a detailed control schedule with multiple control periods determined based on information regarding the expected presence of pests and information regarding the field. The generated application plan includes at least one program of the determined detailed control schedule and / or control measures with multiple control periods. 【0012】 Using one or more of the above field-related information, the control period may be adjusted to suit a specific field to achieve more efficient control of pests. 【0013】 In some examples, each of the multiple periods is part of a defined crop growing season. 【0014】 In some examples, at least one chemical treatment includes a list of agricultural products suitable for controlling pests over one or more control periods. The treatment unit is configured to select agricultural products from the list based on at least one predefined criterion. 【0015】 Therefore, when detailing an accurate application plan, this device may need to consider various criteria to improve pest control. 【0016】 For example, agricultural products, active ingredients, and / or mechanisms of action that have been used previously may not be reused in the future for better resistance management. 【0017】 For example, if a farmer has a large stockpile of a particular agricultural product that is suitable for controlling pests during one or more control periods, that particular agricultural product may be selected. 【0018】 In some examples, at least one predefined criterion includes one or more pieces of information about agricultural product rotation, information about preventing disease, and information about the types and / or quantities of agricultural products in stock. 【0019】 In one example, at least one program of control measures may be selected based on available stock agricultural products, and substantially equivalent alternative programs of control measures may be omitted. In other words, if a program of control measures is proposed that may not match the available types and / or quantities of agricultural products in stock, this proposed program of control measures may be replaced with a program that matches the available types and / or quantities of agricultural products in stock. 【0020】 In some examples, at least one chemical treatment includes a list of agricultural products suitable for controlling pests over one or more control periods. The treatment unit is configured to rank the agricultural products based on their relevant control effects on pests. 【0021】 In some examples, at least one program of control treatment includes multiple different programs of control treatment suitable for controlling pests over multiple control periods. The treatment unit is configured to rank the multiple different programs of control treatment based on predefined ranking criteria and to select one program of control treatment for the application plan based on the ranking. 【0022】 Therefore, this device can also take into account the interdependence of applications and rank appropriate application sequences, agricultural products for each application, and appropriate programs. 【0023】 In some examples, the predefined ranking criteria include one or more of the following: crop yield, the level of pest resistance to at least one program of control treatments, information on the type and / or quantity of agricultural products in stock, and information on machinery in stock. 【0024】 In some examples, a plurality of different programs of control treatments include at least two programs of control treatments generated for different harmful organism management scenarios, and each pest management scenario corresponds to a respective predefined pest spread situation. 【0025】 For example, the predefined pest spread situation can be defined using one or more of the following parameters: distribution of pests by locality, spread level (e.g., 0% - 100%, or abundance per area, e.g., plants / m 2 or development stage of spread, e.g., size or growth stage of weeds), source of spread (e.g., identification of pest species, weed species, fungal disease species), and resistance of pests to agricultural products. Different pest management scenarios correspond to different pest spread situations having at least one predefined different parameter range. As an example, an exemplary weed management scenario can include one or more of a heavy weed spread scenario, a standard weed composition scenario, a high pressure scenario of resistant weeds and some broadleaf weeds, and a critical grass weed scenario. 【0026】 The plurality of control periods of different programs of control treatments may be concatenated and / or at least partially overlapped. In this way, it is possible to switch to different programs of control treatments to update the application plan as needed. 【0027】 In some examples, the input unit is configured to receive data indicating the occurrence of an event during or after the execution of a selected program of control treatment. The processing unit is configured to determine whether the event has caused or is expected to cause a change in the planned result of controlling the pest. The processing unit is configured to determine whether the change in the planned result of controlling the pest has caused or is expected to cause a change in the pest infestation situation. In response to the determination that the change in the planned result of controlling the pest has caused or is expected to cause a change in the pest infestation situation, the processing unit is configured to select another program of control treatment having a pest management scenario corresponding to the changed pest infestation situation. The output unit is configured to provide another selected program of control treatment as an updated application plan. 【0028】 The event can be an event that has caused or is expected to cause a change in the expected or planned result of controlling the pest. In some examples, the event can include an application error. For example, one crop protection measure was not carried out as planned in the application plan. For example, one crop protection treatment was carried out in a different way than planned in the application plan. In some examples, the event can include in-season changes. For example, environmental conditions, such as weather conditions, change and are different from the predicted environmental conditions. For example, drought and intermittent rain can both affect herbicide effectiveness. The change in environmental conditions can cause the weed emergence risk to exceed or go above a threshold. For example, within a given control period, the emergence model detects vigorous weed emergence. For example, the change in environmental conditions can cause the weed growth stage to exceed or go above a threshold. For example, within a given control period, the weed growth model detects that the weeds are most likely to be at an appropriate growth stage. 【0029】 In some examples, data representing one or more events may be provided by a user (e.g., a farmer) via a user interface. In some examples, data representing one or more events may be retrieved from a database, such as a database storing field records (e.g., records of herbicide application history). In some examples, data representing one or more events (e.g., changes in environmental conditions) may be retrieved, for example, from a third party, such as a service provider, or from field sensors. 【0030】 In some cases, data indicating one or more events can be received at any time, such as during a control period or between two control periods. For example, environmental data may be received continuously from, for example, a service provider or field sensors. In some cases, data indicating one or more events may be received at the end of one control period or at the end of two or more control periods. For example, camera data showing weed spread may be received at the end of each control period to determine the results of the corresponding control measures. For example, in-season reconnaissance data may be received if an in-season reconnaissance by a farmer or contractor is conducted approximately 10 days after the application of a spray program. 【0031】 Therefore, the device can review the execution of the application program, taking into account previous applications and changes within the season. For example, one crop protection measure was not carried out as planned in the application plan. For example, one crop protection measure was carried out in a way different from what was planned in the application plan. For example, weather conditions change and differ from the data stored in the field information. In such cases, the device can select a different program of control measures that better matches the current pest management scenario. The review can be triggered by the user via the user interface or automatically by the detection of the occurrence of an event. Alternatively or additionally, the review process can be triggered when the farmer wants to run the next program. Typically, one program is run per season. Performing a review after the season for the next season can help manage the next season successfully. 【0032】 In some examples, each control treatment program may be provided with a label containing one or more predefined conditions for selecting each control treatment program. The label may also include information on pest management scenarios, such as a high-mass weed spread scenario, a standard weed composition scenario, high-pressure scenarios for resistant weeds and certain broadleaf weeds, and important grass weed scenarios. The selection of a particular control treatment program may be performed by determining whether the altered pest spread situation matches the information in the label of one of the control treatment programs. 【0033】 In some examples, the processing unit is configured to generate a control file containing control parameters for controlling at least one application device that controls pests according to the application plan. 【0034】 In some examples, the processing unit is configured to generate filling guidance that includes the required agricultural products and their ratios to be filled into one or more tanks of at least one application device. 【0035】 In some examples, pests include at least one of the following: weeds, fungal diseases, and insects. 【0036】 In some examples, agricultural products include crop protection products, preferably herbicides, fungicides, and / or pesticides. 【0037】 According to a second aspect of the present invention, a pest management system is provided, which includes an apparatus according to the first aspect and any related example configured to generate an application plan for controlling pests in a field, and at least one application device configured to control pests in accordance with the application plan. 【0038】 This will be explained in more detail below, particularly with regard to the flowchart shown in Figure 3. 【0039】 According to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for determining disease progression that can be used in the application schedule of fungicides in agricultural fields is provided, and this method is a) To receive information regarding the expected presence of harmful organisms in the coming period, b) Based on information regarding the expected presence of pests in the coming period, determine a rough control schedule that includes multiple control periods for controlling pests, c) Determining, based on product data including information on multiple agricultural products, at least one program of control treatments to be sequentially applied to a field to control pests over multiple control periods, wherein each control period is associated with at least one control treatment selected from chemical or mechanical treatments. d) To generate an application plan that includes at least one program of a determined rough control schedule and / or control action having multiple control periods, e) To provide the generated application plan, Includes. 【0040】 This will be explained in more detail below, particularly with regard to the flowchart shown in Figure 3. 【0041】 According to a further aspect of the present invention, a computer product including instructions is provided, which, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to carry out steps of the method according to a third aspect and any related examples. 【0042】 In one embodiment, a field may be any area where organisms, particularly crop plants, are produced, grown, and sown, and / or where production, growth, and sown are planned. The term “field” also includes horticultural fields, forestry fields, and fields for producing and / or growing aquatic organisms. 【0043】 In one embodiment, the agricultural product may include any product / object / material that can be applied to a field using a threshold. In relation to this disclosure, the term agricultural product may include chemical products, such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, acaricides, molluscides, nematicides, birdicides, fishicides, rodenticides, repellents, fungicides, biocides, toxicity reducers, plant growth regulators, urease inhibitors, nitrification inhibitors, denitrification inhibitors, or any combination thereof; biological products, such as fungicides (biofungicides), herbicides (biofungicides), insecticides (biofungicides), acaricides (biofungicides), mollusk repellents (biofungicides), nematicides (biofungicides), birdicides, fishicides, rodenticides, repellents, fungicides, biocides, toxicity reducers, plant growth regulators, urease inhibitors, nitrification inhibitors, denitrification inhibitors, or any combination thereof; fertilizers and / or nutrients; seeds and seedlings; and water. 【0044】 In one embodiment, the control data may include any data configured to operate and control the application device. The control data is provided by a control unit and may, but is not limited to, controlling one or more technical means of the application device, such as a drive control unit. 【0045】 In one embodiment, the application map may be a map showing the two-dimensional spatial distribution of the quantity, application rate, type, or form of product to be applied in different locations or zones within a field. 【0046】 In one embodiment, a pest can be any organism that adversely affects the growth or health of crop plants. Examples of targets include, but are not limited to, weeds, diseases, and pests. 【0047】 In one embodiment, the crop may refer to plants such as grains, fruits, or vegetables grown in large quantities. Preferred crops include onions (Allium cepa), pineapples (Ananas comosus), peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), asparagus (Asparagus officinalis), oats (Avena sativa), beetroot (Beta vulgaris spec. altissima), beetroot (Beta vulgaris spec. rapa), rapeseed (Brassica napus var. napus), rutabaga (Brassica napus var. napobrassica), and winter tunic rapa (Brassica rapa var. sylvastris).silvestris), wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea), black mustard (Brassica nigra), tea plant (Camellia sinensis), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), pecan (Carya illinoinensis), lemon (Citrus limon), orange (Citrus sinensis), Arabica coffee plant (Coffea arabica) (Robusta coffee plant (Coffea canephora)), Liberica coffee plant (Coffea liberica), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), wild carrot (Daucus carota), Guinea oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), soybean (Glycine max), and peanut cotton (Gossypium). (Hirsutum), (Gossypium arboreum, Gossypium herbaceum, Gossypium vitifolium, Helianthus annuus, Hevea brasiliensis, Hordeum vulgare, Humulus lupulus, Ipomoea batatas, Juglans regia, Lens culinaris, Linum usitatissimum, Lycopersicon lycopersicum, Malus spec., Cassava (Manihot esculenta), Medicago sativa, Musa spec., Tobacco (Nicotiana) Tabacum (N. rustica), olive (Olea europaea), rice (Oryza sativa), lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), European spruce (Picea abies), pine (Pinus spec.)), pistachios (Pistacia vera), peas (Pisum sativum), sweet cherry (Prunus avium), peaches (Prunus persica), pears (Pyrus communis), apricots (Prunus armeniaca), black cherry (Prunus cerasus), almonds (Prunus dulcis) and plums (Prunus domestica), Ribes sylvestre, castor beans (Ricinus communis), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), rye (Secale cereale), white mustard (Sinapis alba), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (S. vulgare), cocoa (Theobroma) These include cacao, red clover (Trifolium pratense), bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), rye (Triticale), durum wheat (Triticum durum), broad bean (Vicia faba), European grape (Vitis vinifera), and maize (Zea may). The most preferred crops are peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), sugar beets (Beta vulgaris spec. altissima), and rapeseed (Brassica napus var.napus), wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea), lemon (Citrus limon), orange (Citrus sinensis), Arabica coffee tree (Coffea arabica) (Robusta coffee tree (Coffea canephora), Liberica coffee tree (Coffea liberica)), Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), soybean (Glycine max), upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), (tree cotton (Gossypium arboreum), white cotton (Gossypium herbaceum), Gossypium vitifolium)), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), barley (Hordeum vulgare), Japanese walnut (Juglans regia), lentil (Lens) culinaris), flax (Linum usitatissimum), tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum), apple (Malus spec.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) (N. rustica), olive (Olea europaea), rice (Oryza sativa), lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), pistachio (Pistacia vera), pea (Pisum sativum), almond (Prunus dulcis), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), rye (Secale cereale), potato (Solanum tuberosum), sorghum bicolor (S. vulgaris (S. vulgaris)These include vulgare, rye (Triticale), bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), durum wheat (Triticum durum), broad beans (Vicia faba), European grapes (Vitis vinifera), and maize (Zea mays). Particularly preferred crops are cereals, maize, soybeans, rice, rapeseed, cotton, potatoes, peanuts, or perennial crops. 【0048】 In one embodiment, the season may also refer to the crop growing season, which is the part of the year in which local conditions (i.e., rainfall, temperature, sunlight, etc.) allow for normal plant growth. 【0049】 In one embodiment, a season-long program may also be called an application plan that is applied to a field over the entire crop growing season or a portion of the entire crop growing season. The application plan includes at least one program of control schedules and / or control measures applied to a field, having multiple control periods for controlling pests. In one example, the period covered by the control schedule may substantially correspond to a season. Thus, the application plan may be provided before the start of the control schedule. 【0050】 These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and even clearer by referring to the embodiments described as examples in the following description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0051】 [Figure 1] A block diagram of an exemplary apparatus for generating application plans to control pests in a field is shown. [Figure 2] An example of a pest control system is shown. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows a computer implementation method for generating application plans to control pests in a field. [Figure 4] An illustrative map of the expected spread of the disease in a field is shown. [Figure 5] A list of examples of weeds that are considered pests is provided, along with recommended control periods. [Figure 6] Here is an example list of herbicides as agricultural products. [Figure 7] Three exemplary application plans are presented that pair different chemical properties / mechanisms of action in crop protection programs. [Figure 8] An example of a control procedure program is shown below. [Figure 9] Here are some examples of multiple control procedures. [Figure 10] An exemplary updated application plan is shown. [Figure 11] An exemplary application device 400 configured to implement the application plan is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0052】 It should be noted that the drawings are purely schematic and not drawn to a fixed scale. In the drawings, elements corresponding to elements already described may be assigned the same reference numeral. Examples, embodiments, or any features, whether indicated as non-limiting or not, should not be understood as limiting the claimed invention. 【0053】 Detailed description of the embodiment The following describes an approach related to the application of herbicides for illustrative purposes. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and apparatus described above and below can be adapted to other agricultural products such as fungicides and pesticides. Accordingly, the examples described below are provided without prejudice to or limitation of the claimed invention. 【0054】 Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus 10 for generating application plans to control harmful components in a field. The exemplary apparatus 10 may include an input unit 12, a processing unit 14, and an output unit 16. 【0055】 In general, the apparatus 10 may include various physical and / or logical components for communicating and manipulating information, which may be implemented as hardware components (e.g., computing devices, processors, logical devices), executable computer program instructions (e.g., firmware, software) that can be executed by various hardware components, or any combination thereof, as desired for a given set of design parameters or performance constraints. 【0056】 In some embodiments, the exemplary apparatus 10 may be embodied as or within a device or apparatus such as a server, workstation, or mobile device. The apparatus 10 may include one or more microprocessors or computer processors, which implement appropriate software. The processing unit 14 of the exemplary apparatus 10 may be embodied by one or more of these processors. The software may be downloaded to and / or stored in corresponding memory (e.g., volatile memory such as RAM, or non-volatile memory such as flash). The software may include instructions that configure one or more processors to perform the functions described herein. 【0057】 It should be noted that device 10 may be implemented with or without a processor, and may also be implemented as a combination of dedicated hardware for performing some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuits) for performing other functions. For example, the functional units of device 10, such as the input unit 12, the processing unit 14, and the output unit 16, may be implemented in the form of programmable logic, for example, as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in a device or instrument. Generally, each functional unit of the device may be implemented in the form of a circuit. 【0058】 In some embodiments, the exemplary device 10 may also be implemented in a distributed manner. For example, some or all units of the exemplary device 10 may be arranged as separate modules in a distributed architecture and connected by appropriate communication networks such as the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) network, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, the Internet, LAN (Local Area Network), Wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and WAN (Wide Area Network). 【0059】 Figure 1 may show a limited number of components as an example, but it can be understood that more or fewer components may be used for a given embodiment. Furthermore, the functions provided by one or more components of device 10 may be combined or separate. Moreover, the functions of any one or more components of device 10 may be implemented in any suitable computing environment, such as a personal computing environment, a time-sharing computing environment, a distributed computing environment, a cloud computing environment, and a cluster computing environment. An exemplary cloud computing environment is shown in Figure 2. 【0060】 Figure 2 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a pest management system 200 in which device 10 may be implemented. The exemplary pest management system 200 may include a data management system 110, a field management system 120, an electronic communication device 130, a network 140, and at least one application device 150. In this example, device 10 is embodied as or within the field management system 120, and resides, for example, as software in the field management system 120. 【0061】 The exemplary data management system 110 may store a database, an application, a local file, or any combination thereof. The data management system 110 may include data obtained from one or more data sources. In some examples, the data management system 110 may include data obtained from a user device, which may be a computer, smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, monitor, data storage device, or any other device, thereby allowing users, including humans and robots, to input or transfer data to the data management system 110. In some examples, the data management system 110 may include data obtained from one or more sensors. The term “sensor” is understood to be any kind of physical or virtual device, module, or machine capable of detecting or receiving real-world information and transmitting this real-world information to another system, and may include temperature sensors, humidity sensors, moisture sensors, pH sensors, pressure sensors, soil sensors, crop sensors, water sensors, cameras, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the data management system 110 may store one or more databases, which may be any organized collection of data, which are electronically stored and accessible from a computer system, and from which data may be entered into or transferred to the data management system 110. 【0062】 In some examples, the data management system 110 may include information about one or more fields. 【0063】 In some embodiments, information about one or more fields may include information about the past and / or present presence of one or more pests on the field. Information about the past and / or present presence of one or more pests on each field may include one or more of the following: local distribution of the pest, prevalence level (e.g., 0% to 100%), source of prevalence (e.g., insect species, weed species, fungal disease species), and resistance of the pest to agricultural products. 【0064】 In some embodiments, information about one or more agricultural fields may include field data for different agricultural fields. Field data may include georeferenced data and associated treatment maps for different agricultural areas. Field data may include information about one or more of the following: crops present in the field (e.g., indicated by crop IDs), crop rotation, field location, previous treatments to the field, and sowing time. 【0065】 In some embodiments, information about one or more agricultural fields may include, for example, environmental data obtained from sensors placed in the field and / or from a weather forecasting service. The environmental data indicates the environmental conditions of the agricultural field. Exemplary environmental data may include, but is not limited to, temperature, cloud cover, dew point, shortwave radiation, longwave radiation, ice accumulation period, liquid accumulation period, relative humidity, adjusted precipitation accumulation period, snow cover period, and wind speed. In some examples, environmental data may be collected by sensors installed in the agricultural field. In some examples, environmental data may be received from a weather forecasting service. 【0066】 In some embodiments, information about one or more agricultural fields may include crop management data, which shows the application history of agricultural products in the field. This crop management data may be obtained from a data management system that stores the application history of agricultural products in the field. 【0067】 In some embodiments, information about one or more agricultural fields may include field location data or geographic data, which may include latitude and longitude data of the fields (e.g., decimal angles, negative values ​​for south or west), and this data may be obtained from field data of the fields. 【0068】 In some embodiments, information about one or more agricultural fields may include any combination of the examples described above. 【0069】 In some examples, the data management system 110 may include agricultural product data, which may include information on multiple agricultural products, such as crop protection products including but not limited to herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides. For example, the information may include product identifiers (e.g., product IDs such as herbicide ID and pesticide ID), targeted pest identifiers (e.g., pest IDs such as weed ID and insect ID), and any additional information. As an example, herbicide data may provide information on the weeds controlled, the types of crops to which the herbicide can be applied, mixing procedures, recommended application timing, application rates, active ingredients, mechanism of action, classification (e.g., pre-planting herbicides, pre-emergence or post-emergence herbicides, post-harvest products), and appropriate safety clothing required during mixing and application. In some examples, the data management system 110 may include an agricultural product database that may cover all or most common agricultural products. In some examples, the agricultural product database may be limited to agricultural products of a particular provider. Furthermore, agricultural product databases can be limited to agricultural products permitted in each jurisdiction. Agricultural product databases can be provided by third parties. However, it is also possible for users to create their own agricultural product databases by scanning the labels of each agricultural product in their inventory and retrieving corresponding information about each agricultural product from the supplier database. The latter can also be used by users to supplement fertilizer product databases by adding information about further agricultural products. 【0070】 The illustrated field management system 120 may be a server that provides web services to facilitate data management. The field management system 120 may include a data extraction module (not shown) configured to identify data in the data management system 110 to be extracted, retrieve data from the data management system 110, and provide the retrieved data to the device 10. The device 10 processes the extracted data in accordance with the methods described herein. The processed data and final output of the device 10 may be provided to a user output device (e.g., an electronic communication device 130) in an output database (e.g., in the data management system 110) and / or as a control file (e.g., for controlling the application device 150). The term “user output device” is understood to be a computer, smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, monitor, data storage device, or any other device by which users, including humans and robots, can receive data from the field management system, such as the electronic communication device 130. The term “output database” is understood to be any organized collection of data that is electronically stored and accessible from a computer system and capable of receiving data output or transferred from the field management system 120. For example, the output database may be provided to the data management system 110. The term “control file” is also called a configuration file and is understood to be any binary file, data, signals, identifiers, codes, images, or any other machine-readable or machine-detectable element that helps control a machine or device, such as an application device 150. In some examples, the device 10 may provide an application plan, which may be provided to an electronic communication device 130 to enable a farmer to configure the application device 150 according to the application plan. In some examples, the device 10 may provide a configuration profile, which may be loaded into the application device 150 to configure the treatment device 150 to apply chemical or mechanical treatment according to determined application timings. 【0071】 The illustrated example electronic communication device 130 may be a desktop, notebook, laptop, mobile phone, smartphone, and / or PDA. This electronic communication device 130 may include a data analysis application, which may be a software application that allows the user to manipulate data extracted from the data management system 110 by the field management system 120 and select and specify actions to be performed on individual data. For example, the data analysis application may be a desktop application, a mobile application, or a web-based application. The data analysis application may include a user interface such as an interactive interface, including but not limited to a GUI, a character user interface, and a touchscreen interface. Through the software application, the user may access the field management system 120, for example using username and password authentication, to obtain application plans and / or configuration files available for configuring at least one application device 150. The application plans and / or configuration files may include a series of control periods having associated agricultural product IDs. 【0072】 At least one application device 150 is configured to carry out a series of crop protection measures, such as mechanical and / or chemical treatments, over the season on a field 100, as determined by the exemplary device 10. Figure 2 may show a limited number of application devices, but it will be understood that two or more application devices 150 may be implemented for several applications. In some examples, at least one application device 150 may include an application device configured to carry out a mechanical treatment to physically remove a target (e.g., weeds). Mechanical weed control is one example, and there are several forms of mechanical weed control, such as finger weeders, brush weeders, torsion weeders, small ridging machines, and computer vision guided hoes, which provide excellent weed control. In some examples, at least one application device 150 may include an application device configured to carry out a chemical treatment to eliminate a target by using a chemical protection product such as a herbicide, insecticide, or fungicide. Exemplary application devices for carrying out chemical treatments include, for example, ground robots with variable-speed applicators, aerial sprayers, or other variable-speed applicators for applying chemical protection products to agricultural areas. In the example of Figure 2, at least one application device 150 may be a smart agricultural machine. The smart agricultural machine may be a smart sprayer and includes a connectivity system 152. The connectivity system 152 may be configured to communicately connect the smart agricultural machine 150 to a computing environment. Further exemplary application devices for carrying out chemical treatments are shown in Figure 11. 【0073】 The illustrated example network 140 communicatively connects the data management system 110, the field management system 120, the electronic communication device 130, and at least one application device 150. In some examples, network 140 may be the Internet. Alternatively, network 140 may be any other type and number of networks. For example, network 140 may be realized by several local area networks connected to a wide area network. For example, the data management system 110 may be associated with a first local area network, the field management system 120 may be associated with a second local area network, and the electronic communication device 130 may be associated with a third local area network. The first, second, and third local area networks may be connected to a wide area network. Naturally, network 140 may be realized using any other configuration and topology, including any combination of wired networks, wireless networks, wide area networks, and local area networks. 【0074】 Figure 3 shows a flowchart illustrating a computer implementation method 300 for generating application plans to control pests in a field. The method can be understood to clearly illustrate the operation of the exemplary apparatus 10 described above for generating application plans, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The apparatus may be a computing device or computing system suitable for executing program code associated with the proposed method, regardless of platform. As a further example, the apparatus may be embodied as or within a computer system. The apparatus may be embodied, for example, as a remote server providing a web service that facilitates field pest management by agricultural workers in the field. The remote server may have more powerful computing capabilities to serve multiple users to manage many different fields. The remote server may include an interface that allows users to authenticate (e.g., by providing a username and password) and an interface for creating, modifying, and deleting configuration information for at least one of the user's application devices. For example, the configuration information may include geographic information of the target area, an application plan for pest treatment, etc. The configuration information may be loaded into at least one application device, enabling at least one application device to perform pest treatment. 【0075】 However, it will be understood that the steps of the method described in Figure 3 do not necessarily have to relate to the architecture of apparatus 10 described above in relation to Figure 1. More specifically, the method described below may be understood as teaching in itself. 【0076】 Starting from block 310, i.e., step a), method 300 includes the step of receiving information regarding the presence of pests expected in the coming period. 【0077】 The "future period" could be the time window during which the user plans to treat pests in the field. This "future period" could be, for example, the next day, week, month, or season. 【0078】 Information regarding the expected presence of pests may include one or more of the following: local distribution of the pest, prevalence level (e.g., 0% to 100%), source of prevalence (e.g., weed species, insect species), and life stage. 【0079】 In some cases, information regarding the expected presence of pests may be provided by users, such as agricultural workers, via the electronic communication device 130 shown in Figure 2. 【0080】 In some cases, information regarding the expected presence of pests may be determined based on information regarding the past and / or present presence of one or more pests on the field, which can be retrieved from the data management system 110. Information regarding the historical presence of pests may be provided by spread maps showing details of the distribution of pests by region over the past few days, weeks, months, seasons, and / or years. The season and source of infection may also be provided in infection maps or in JSON files or CSV tables. Alternatively or additionally, pest population data may include information regarding the current presence of pests. 【0081】 In some cases, information regarding the expected presence of pests can be determined by analyzing field images that can be captured by drones, satellites, etc. Object detection algorithms can be applied to identify pests on the field. 【0082】 Figure 4 shows an exemplary expected spread map for field 100. In the example in Figure 4, the expected infection map shows the distribution of pests by region and source of infection. The expected spread map includes two types of pests with IDs "A" and "B". In particular, patch 100a of the field is associated with pest ID "a". In other words, pest "A" may be present in patch 100a for the coming period. Patch 100b of the field is associated with pest IDs "A" and "B". The expected spread map may further include information regarding the level of spread (not shown), which may be useful in determining the quantity of agricultural products to be affected. 【0083】 In block 320, i.e., step b), the method further includes the step of determining a rough control schedule, which includes several control periods for controlling pests, based on information regarding the expected presence of pests in the coming periods. The control periods may include several date and / or time windows (e.g., May 8-11). The rough control schedule provides only appropriate periods. Appropriate control measures for each control period are determined in block 330. 【0084】 In this step, the pests of interest (e.g., weeds) can be identified based on information regarding the expected presence of pests over the coming period. For example, considering weeds, there is a recommended time frame for applying herbicides to each weed, as herbicides can become almost completely ineffective if applied at the wrong time of year. In most cases, this time is early in the weed's life cycle, but in some cases, herbicides should be applied at different growth stages. The timing of control for the sequential application of at least one control treatment selected from chemical or mechanical treatments to control weeds may be determined based on weed information retrieved from a weed database. 【0085】 For example, weeds "A" and "B" can be identified based on the expected spread map of field 100 shown in Figure 4. The device 10 can retrieve weed data for weeds "A" and "B" from a weed database in the data management system 110 shown in Figure 2. The weed data may include information on recommended timeframes in which weeds "A" and "B" can be most effectively controlled. Figure 5 shows an exemplary list of expected weeds "A" and "B" on the field, along with recommended timeframes in which weeds "A" and "B" can be most effectively controlled. The application time range for post-emergence herbicides, i.e., herbicides applied after the weeds have emerged and are actively growing, is also shown. For example, the application time range for pre-emergence herbicides is mid-May to mid-October for weed "A," and for weed "A," it is mid-March to mid-April. If the recommended control periods for several weeds overlap, an application period may be selected that will effectively control all of those weeds, provided that the selected herbicide is effective in controlling them. A rough control schedule can be determined using the recommended timeframes for controlling weeds "A" and "B". For example, a rough control schedule for controlling weed "A" may include multiple control periods. One or more control periods may be scheduled from March to mid-April with the use of pre-emergence herbicides, and one or more control periods may be scheduled from mid-May to mid-October with the use of post-emergence herbicides. 【0086】 However, in a particular field, the development of pests can be influenced by many factors. Therefore, it may be beneficial to consider one or more of the following pieces of information about the field in order to determine a detailed control schedule for that field. 【0087】 In some cases, environmental data for the field area may be provided. Environmental data, such as weather conditions, can influence the development of certain pests. For example, warm and humid weather may be favorable for the development of certain weeds. Weather data may be provided by a third party, such as a service provider, or by on-site sensors. Furthermore, it is possible to add weather data at a later point in time depending on the remaining time until control and / or to include / update weather data at predefined time intervals before control. Other data regarding the crop environment may also be obtained from on-site sensors such as moisture sensors, pH sensors, pressure sensors, soil sensors, water sensors, cameras, or any combination thereof. 【0088】 In some cases, field data can be retrieved from a data management system, for example, as shown in Figure 2. For example, field data may include crop rotation information. Crop rotation can help reduce the accumulation of certain pests, particularly soil organisms such as root-feeding insects and fungi. 【0089】 In some cases, soil data related to the soil conditions of the field may be provided. This may include, for example, soil fertility or soil pH, soil compaction, excess thatch, and water content, which can affect weed development. 【0090】 In some examples, crop variety data pertains to crops currently being grown or planned to be grown in an agricultural field. Exemplary crop variety data may include, but are not limited to, the growth stage at a specific point in time, crop density (i.e., the number of crops per unit area of ​​the field), and the number of days since planting. Crop variety data can be obtained from field data of an agricultural field. For example, increased crop density and spatial uniformity can suppress weed growth. 【0091】 In some cases, machine data may be provided indicating available machinery to be used in the future. Illustrative machinery may include, but is not limited to, drones, sprayers with a single tank, and sprayers with multiple tanks. For example, a sprayer with two tanks may spray two agricultural products in one control time, while a sprayer with one tank may need to spray two agricultural products in two separate control times. 【0092】 Using one or more of the above field information, the control period may be adjusted to suit a specific field to achieve more efficient control of pests. 【0093】 In block 330, i.e., step c), the method further includes determining, based on product data including information on multiple agricultural products, a program of control treatments to be applied sequentially to a field to control pests over multiple control periods. Each control period is associated with at least one respective control treatment selected from chemical or mechanical treatments. 【0094】 The step of determining at least one program of control measures may further include determining the results of controlling pests with at least one program of control measures, and generating an application plan if the results of controlling pests meet predefined control objectives for the future period. The control objective may be a predefined growth target for crop plants in the field under predicted environmental conditions. The predefined growth target may be defined as a predefined quantity of crop to be grown. Alternatively or additionally, the control objective may be a predefined spread level to be achieved after the application of at least one program of control measures for the future period. 【0095】 To generate an application plan having the result of controlling pests to meet predefined control objectives for the following period, the method may further include the steps described below. 【0096】 Firstly, based on product data containing information on multiple agricultural products, each control treatment is determined for each control period, generating a first set of control treatments that are applied sequentially across multiple control periods. The selection of chemical or mechanical treatments for a particular control time may depend on several factors, which are described in detail below. 【0097】 Secondly, the results of controlling pests are determined when a first set of control treatments is applied sequentially to the field over multiple control periods. In other words, the method considers whether pairing different crop protection products within the first set of control treatments over multiple applications can achieve the desired results. The desired results may be a desired crop yield or, for example, a level of tolerance over a season after the first set of control treatments has been applied sequentially over different control periods. 【0098】 Thirdly, it is determined whether the results of controlling pests meet the predefined management objectives for the future period. For example, the predefined management objectives for the future period may include a predetermined range for crop yield. The predetermined range may be a threshold. For example, if the results of controlling pests are within the predetermined range for the predicted amount of crop grown, the management objectives for the future period are met. If the results of controlling pests are outside the predetermined range for the predicted amount of crop growth, the predefined management objectives for the future period are not met. 【0099】 Fourth, in response to a determination that the results of controlling pests will not meet predefined management objectives for the future period, a second set of control measures may be generated in which different control measures are determined for at least one of the control periods, thereby applying sequentially across multiple control periods. For example, the device may select different herbicides to apply to one control period. For example, the device may use mechanical measures instead of chemical measures for at least one control period. 【0100】 Fifth, the above steps may be repeated until the results of controlling the pests meet the predefined management objectives for the future period. 【0101】 Finally, depending on the determination that the results of controlling the pests meet the predefined management objectives for the future period, at least one program of control measures is generated, which includes a set of control measures that meet the predefined management objectives for the future period. 【0102】 Therefore, the method may enable better weed control results, for example, by overlapping residual herbicides over the season. For example, knowledge of which herbicides can be applied to crops, and the use of different chemical actions / mechanisms of action in crop protection plans, can provide efficient weed control and help combat resistance. Therefore, the method may use product data to determine the detailed sequence of mechanical and / or chemical applications to be applied during these control periods. The method may determine whether pairing various crop protection treatments across multiple applications can achieve the desired results. In this way, better control may be provided by adding and / or combining the use of products, active ingredients, and / or mechanisms of action across multiple applications. In addition, the dose applied to the field can be reduced. 【0103】 The choice of chemical or mechanical treatment for a particular control time may depend on several factors, including economic (e.g., cost), regulatory (legal), logistical (mechanical, meteorological, and soil conditions), and agronomic (e.g., weed effectiveness, crop growth stage, availability and effectiveness of herbicides at that time and in that soil, conventional vs. organic farms, weeds and weed resistance, etc.). In some embodiments, the choice of chemical or mechanical treatment for a particular control time may be determined based on predefined criteria defined by one or more of the factors mentioned above. 【0104】 For example, product data may be determined by performing a database search in an agricultural product database, which may be stored in a data management system 110, as shown in Figure 2. For example, product data may include product identifiers (e.g., product ID), targeted pest identifiers (e.g., weed ID, pest ID, etc.), and any additional information. As an example, product data may include herbicide data, which may provide information on the controlled weeds, the crop types to which the herbicide can be applied, the mixing procedure, the timing of application, the application rate, the active ingredient, the mechanism of action, the classification (e.g., pre-planting herbicides, pre-emergence or post-emergence herbicides, post-harvest products), and information on appropriate safety clothing required during mixing and application. 【0105】 If it is determined that multiple pests are present or expected to be present in the field, it is preferable to determine which agricultural products can target each pest. 【0106】 Figure 6 shows an exemplary list of herbicides "A," "B," and "C" found in an agricultural product database that can target weed IDs "A" and "B" shown in Figure 5. Herbicide "A," which targets weed "A," is a pre-emergence herbicide and can be applied from March to mid-April, while herbicide "C," a post-emergence herbicide, can be applied from mid-May to mid-October to control weed "A." 【0107】 As shown in Figure 6, the information provided may include information regarding the mechanism of action of agricultural products. The mechanism of action of an agricultural product is how it controls susceptible pests. For example, the mechanism of action of a herbicide usually describes a biological process or enzyme in the plant that the herbicide disrupts, affecting normal plant growth and development. In other cases, the mechanism of action may be a general description of the damage symptoms seen in susceptible plants. Information regarding the mechanism of action of each product may be found on the front of the agricultural product label. Furthermore, taking herbicides as an example, herbicides are often described as belonging to a specific numbered group. These numbers refer to a specific mechanism of action, and have been developed to consistently categorize herbicides based on those mechanisms of action. For example, "Group 1" herbicides are ACCase (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) inhibitors, and "Group 2" herbicides are ALS (acetolactic acid synthase) inhibitors. 【0108】 In some examples, as shown in Figure 6, the information provided may include information about the active ingredients in agricultural products (e.g., quizalopops, diclohops, phenoxaprops, etc.). 【0109】 In the example shown in Figure 6, agricultural products "A" and "C" may have the same active ingredient "X," but their mechanisms of action may differ. In particular, agricultural product "A" belongs to Group 1 herbicides, and agricultural product "C" belongs to Group 2 herbicides. Agricultural product "B" may have the active ingredient "Y" and belongs to Group 2 herbicides. 【0110】 Figure 6 may show a limited number of components as an example, but it can be understood that more or fewer components may be used for a given embodiment. 【0111】 In some examples, at least one chemical treatment may include a list of agricultural products suitable for controlling pests over one or more control periods. In such cases, the agricultural products may be selected from the list based on at least one predefined criterion. 【0112】 For example, some herbicides can be classified as pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides, and therefore can be applied at two or more control points throughout the season. For instance, herbicide "A" is classified as both a pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicide. Therefore, herbicide "A" can be applied as a pre-emergence herbicide in the time frame from March to mid-April, and as a post-emergence herbicide in the time frame from mid-May to mid-October. In these cases, it may be beneficial to determine at which control time herbicide "A" should be applied before generating an application plan. 【0113】 In one example, the device 10 may receive information about at least one agricultural product already applied to the field during the crop growing season. This information may be provided by a user (e.g., a farmer) via the electronic communication device 130 shown in Figure 2. Alternatively or additionally, the information may be retrieved from the data management system 110 shown in Figure 2. The processing unit 14 of the device 10 may generate an application plan that includes at least one applicable agricultural product and the rotational sequential application of chemical treatments to be applied during the following periods. For example, if herbicide "A" shown in Figure 6 was applied as a pre-germination herbicide from March to mid-April, the device 10 may recommend herbicide "C" instead of herbicide "A" as a post-germination herbicide to be applied from mid-May to mid-October. In other words, the device 10 may identify all products already applied in the first part / step of the season-long program, and the device 10 may recommend other products for the final part / step of the season-long program, for example, to avoid the emergence of resistance. 【0114】 For example, if a farmer has a large stock of herbicides suitable for controlling pests during one or more control periods, those herbicides may be selected. 【0115】 Referring again to Figure 3, in block 340, i.e., step d), the method further comprises generating an application plan that includes a determined rough control schedule and / or at least one program of control measures having multiple control periods. If a detailed control schedule is determined, the generated application plan may include a detailed control schedule and at least one program of control measures. Three exemplary application plans are shown in the figure. As will be described in detail below, the control schedule shown in Figure 7 includes three control periods, i.e., control time "a", control time "b", and control time "c". In some examples, the control schedule shown in Figure 7 may be a rough control schedule, which is a control schedule determined based on information about the expected presence of pests in the coming period. In some examples, the control schedule shown in Figure 7 may be a detailed control schedule, which is a control schedule determined based not only on information about the expected presence of pests in the coming period, but also on information about the field, such as soil data, crop variety data, environmental data, crop management data, and / or field location data. Figure 7 also shows three programs of control action, including a first program of control action, i.e., Program 1; a second program of control action, i.e., Program 2; and a third program of control action, i.e., Program 3. This will be explained in more detail with respect to Figure 7. 【0116】 In another example, a determined set of related control measures associated with multiple control periods may include two or more chemical treatments using multiple agricultural products. The processing unit 14 of the apparatus 10 may generate an application plan that includes the rotational sequential application of multiple agricultural products. For example, herbicide "A" shown in Figure 5 has not yet been applied. Herbicide rotation makes it more desirable to use herbicide "A" as a pre-germination herbicide from March to mid-April. Therefore, the apparatus 10 recommends the use of herbicide "C" (similar to herbicide "A") between mid-May and mid-October. In this case, a "preliminary" plan is needed. Thus, the apparatus 10 may first create a preliminary season-long program, which is then optimized based on different factors, such as resistance management and herbicide rotation. 【0117】 In some embodiments, there may be multiple agricultural products (e.g., herbicides) and / or combinations of agricultural products (e.g., herbicides) suitable for controlling pests (e.g., weeds) at least one control time. These multiple agricultural products may also be called candidate agricultural products. The candidate agricultural products may differ from each other in at least their active ingredients and / or mechanisms of action. In such cases, the treatment unit 14 may be configured to rank the candidate agricultural products according to their control effects on pests and, based on their relevant control effects, select one or more candidate agricultural products to be used at least one control time. In other words, in order to select agricultural products, these agricultural products may be ranked according to their effectiveness against pests. For example, agricultural products (e.g., herbicides) with effectiveness below a threshold may be filtered to reduce their number. As an example, within each mechanism of action and / or each active ingredient, the best agricultural product may be selected and the number reduced. 【0118】 For better weed control results, it may be necessary to include residual herbicides that overlap over the season. Knowledge of which herbicides can be applied to crops and the use of different chemistry / mechanisms of action in crop protection plans can provide efficient weed control and help combat resistance. Therefore, pairing different herbicides over the season may be beneficial. To this end, it may be beneficial to rank multiple different programs of control treatments based on predefined ranking criteria and select one program of control treatments for an application plan based on the ranking. The predefined ranking criteria include crop yield and one or more levels of resistance of pests to at least one program of control treatments. For example, for at least one control time, the determined relevant control treatment includes multiple candidate agricultural products suitable for controlling pests. The multiple candidate agricultural products may differ from each other in at least their active ingredients and / or mechanisms of action. The treatment unit 10 may be configured to generate multiple candidate application plans with different candidate agricultural products for at least one control time and to determine the application results for each candidate application plan. The application results include crop yield and one or more levels of resistance. The device 10 may be configured to rank multiple candidate application plans based on relevant application results in order to generate an application plan. 【0119】 For example, weed data may include a given resistance to a specific mechanism of action (MoA). When ranking tank mixtures and programs, the device may consider the effectiveness of a product (e.g., herbicide) against weeds. Combinations in which weeds are resistant to herbicides have lower potency (low-potency herbicides) and are therefore downgraded. To recommend or display only the top options in the front end, lower-ranked herbicides are most likely not recommended, even last. 【0120】 Figure 7 shows three exemplary application plans combining different chemical properties / mechanisms of action in a crop protection plan. Figure 7 shows three control periods “a”, “b”, and “c”. As mentioned above, in some examples the control schedule shown in Figure 7 may be a rough control schedule, which is determined based on information about the expected presence of pests in the coming period. In some examples the control schedule shown in Figure 7 may be a detailed control schedule, which is determined based not only on information about the expected presence of pests in the coming period, but also on field information such as soil data, crop variety data, environmental data, crop management data, and / or field location data. In control period “a”, two herbicides “A” and “N” may be used to control target weeds. In control period “b”, two herbicides “B” and “M” may be used to control target weeds. In control period “c”, herbicide “C” may be used to control target weeds. Three exemplary weed control programs may be provided, each program including different combinations of herbicides during control periods "a", "b", and "c". The three exemplary weed control programs are also called three programs of control treatment. The results of each program may also be determined. For example, as shown in Figure 7, Program 1 shows 90% control effectiveness against the target weed, and the crop has a high yield. Program 2 shows 85% control effectiveness against the target weed, and the crop has a moderate yield. Program 3 shows 80% control effectiveness against the target weed, and the crop has a low yield. These programs may be ranked according to their results, and the best-ranked program may be selected. For example, Program 1 may be selected because it has high control effectiveness against the target weed and high crop yield. 【0121】 In some embodiments, the ranking of candidate application plans may be further adjusted based on the agricultural workers' product and equipment inventories. 【0122】 For example, the device 10 may receive information regarding product inventory, indicating the quantity of one or more available agricultural products ready for use in the field. This information may be provided by a user (e.g., a farmer) via the electronic communication device 130 shown in Figure 2. Alternatively or additionally, the information may be retrieved from the data management system 110 shown in Figure 2. The processing unit 14 of the device 10 may select one or more candidate application plans that have one or more available agricultural products in the product inventory, rank the one or more selected candidate application plans, and generate an application plan. For example, if a farmer has a large inventory of herbicide "M", it would be reasonable for all season-long programs that use large quantities of herbicide "M" to be ranked accordingly. In such a case, the device 10 may recommend program 2. Optionally, the efficiency difference between the original season-long program, i.e., program 1, and the adjusted season-long program, i.e., program 2, may be displayed to the user. 【0123】 For example, the device 10 may receive information about equipment inventory indicating one or more available machines ready for use in the field. This information may be provided by a user (e.g., a farmer) via the electronic communication device 130 shown in Figure 2. Alternatively or additionally, the information may be retrieved from the data management system 110 shown in Figure 2. The device's processing unit 14 may select one or more candidate application plans that match the configuration of one or more available machines, and rank the one or more selected candidate application plans to generate an application plan. For example, if a farmer has a smart sprayer in their “machinery / equipment inventory”, a season-long program corresponding to the smart sprayer may be created. The smart sprayer may allow the farmer to perform some herbicide applications on a spot spray basis and other herbicide applications on a flat spray basis. For example, heat as a spot spray can be combined with glyphosate flat spray. In such a case, the device may rank the programs with respect to the available machines or machine attributes. For example, herbicide “A” is a spot spray and herbicide “M” is a flat spray. If an agricultural worker is identified as having a smart sprayer with two tanks, the device may be recommended as an application plan for Program 2. 【0124】 Referring again to Figure 3, in block 350, i.e., step e), the method further includes the step of providing the generated application plan. 【0125】 Figure 8 shows an example of a control treatment program. The illustrated control treatment program includes four control periods, including burndown, pre-emergence, early emergence, and late emergence. Each control period may be associated with a list of agricultural products that can be found in an agricultural product database capable of targeting pests. As described above with respect to the example shown in Figure 6, it is possible to select one agricultural product from the list for each control period based on at least one predefined criterion in order to form an application plan. 【0126】 Figure 9 shows an example of multiple control treatment programs. In the illustrated example, multiple control treatment programs can be generated according to different pest management scenarios. Each pest management scenario corresponds to a predefined pest spread situation. For example, a predefined pest spread situation can be defined using one or more of the following parameters: local distribution of pests, spread level (e.g., 0% to 100%), source of spread (e.g., insect species, weed species, fungal disease species), and pest resistance to agricultural products. Different pest management scenarios correspond to different pest spread situations with at least one different predefined parameter range. As an example, exemplary weed management scenarios include one or more of the following: a high-mass weed spread scenario, a standard weed composition scenario, high-pressure scenarios for resistant weeds and some broadleaf weeds, and important grass weed scenarios. 【0127】 As shown in Figure 9, an exemplary program of control measures, including programs "A", "B", and "C", can be pre-configured to suit different management scenarios. Program "A" may include four control periods, including burn-down, pre-emergence, early emergence, and late emergence. Program "B" may include two control periods, including cultivation and mid / late emergence. Program "C" may include three control periods, including early post-emergence, mid-post-emergence, and late post-emergence. Each program of control measures has a sequence of control periods, which can be determined based on a predefined sequence of actions to be taken in response to a pest management scenario. The sequence of control periods for each program may be a predefined setting by an agricultural expert who determines that a particular pest management scenario requires control periods, e.g., burn-down, pre-emergence, and post-emergence, where burn-down is limited, for example, from 21 days to 7 days before sowing; pre-emergence is limited from sowing to 1 day before germination; and post-emergence is limited, for example, to a growth stage, e.g., V10-V11 growth stage. The exact settings may depend on the country, crop, weed, etc. In that case, the detailed sequence of herbicide tank mixtures, such as "a" to "h" shown in Figure 9, can be determined for each control period in a series of control periods for a given weed strategy. For example, in program "A" shown in Figure 9, tank mixture "a" is shown for the control period "burndown". Four other alternative tank mixtures may be displayed in the dropdown menu. In some examples, when selecting a particular tank mixture, the corresponding control period can be further narrowed down. For example, application, e.g., mid-emergence, should be carried out within the period of growth stages V12 to V18. However, due to legal requirements of two products in the tank mixture, for example, the practically possible application period is growth stages V14 to V16. Although the herbicide mixtures shown in Figure 9 are indicated by different reference letters "a" to "h", it will be understood that some of the herbicide mixtures may be the same. For example, in program A, herbicide mixture "c" may be the same as herbicide mixture "f" in program "C".Therefore, the letters "a" through "h" are simply used as labels for herbicide mixtures and should not be interpreted as indicating that these herbicide mixtures are different. 【0128】 Figure 10 shows further examples of multiple control treatment programs. During the execution of the application plan, one or more events may occur that can trigger the selection of a different control treatment program to better suit the pest management scenario. In some examples, data indicating one or more events may be provided by a user (e.g., a farmer) via a user interface. In some examples, data indicating one or more events may be retrieved from a database, such as a database storing field records (e.g., records of herbicide application history). In some examples, data indicating one or more events (e.g., changes in environmental conditions) may be retrieved, for example, from a third party, such as a service provider, or by field sensors. For example, as shown in Figure 10, program "B" is selected and started as the application plan. After the application of the first control treatment, i.e., cultivation, data indicating the occurrence of events may be collected. In one example, the event may be that the effectiveness of cultivation does not meet the expected outcome of controlling pests. In another example, the event may be that the presence of pests after cultivation exceeds the expected prevalence level. The data can then be analyzed, for example, by the apparatus 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2, to determine whether the event has caused or is expected to cause a change in the outcome of the pest control plan, and whether the change in the outcome of the pest control plan has caused or is expected to cause a change in the pest spread. For example, program "B" may be generated for a standard weed composition scenario. After the application of the first control treatment, the occurrence of the event indicates that the effectiveness of cultivation does not meet the expected outcome of controlling the pest. This is expected to result in a change in the pest spread, for example, a change in the pest spread requiring more intensive post-emerging treatment. As a result, continuing to run program "B" will not allow the management objectives to be achieved. This event can trigger the selection of program "C" as an updated application plan configured to provide intensive post-emerging treatment of weeds. As shown in Figure 10, program "C" has three control periods, namely early post-emerging, mid-emerging, and late post-emerging.Therefore, if cultivation as a weed management strategy fails to achieve or meet the expected results of pest control, program "C" may be selected to better control emerging weeds and achieve management objectives. Thus, the method may review the implementation of the applied program, taking into account previous applications and changes within the season. For example, one crop protection measure was not carried out as planned in the application plan. For example, one crop protection measure was implemented in a way different from what was planned in the application plan. For example, weather conditions have changed and differ from the data stored in the field information. In such cases, the method may select a different program of control measures to better match the current pest management scenario. Alternatively or additionally, the review process may be triggered when the farmer wants to implement the next program. Typically, one program is implemented per season. Performing a review after the season for the next season will allow for successful management of the next season. 【0129】 In some cases, a single event may trigger several alternative control measures for the same problem. These alternative control measures may be selected based on farm logistics preferences. For example, the system may suggest one control strategy, but the user may choose a different option from the alternatives. Also, pest control scenarios may be tailored to specific weed conditions (e.g., "high infestation of major grass weeds + selected major broadleaf weeds" vs. "major grass weeds"). In this case, some strategies may be suitable for similar weed and infestation conditions within a range, but may depend on how poor the infestation of grass weeds is and how important broadleaf weeds are. These alternative control measures may be recommended to the user, and the user may decide which scenario to choose. 【0130】 In some examples, each control treatment program may be provided with a label containing one or more predefined conditions for selecting each control treatment program. The label may also include information on pest management scenarios, such as a high-mass weed spread scenario, a standard weed composition scenario, high-pressure scenarios for resistant weeds and some broadleaf weeds, and important grass weed scenarios. The selection of a particular control treatment program may be performed by determining whether the altered pest spread situation matches the information in the label of one of the control treatment programs. 【0131】 In some examples, the generated or updated application plan may be provided as a recommendation using a user interface (e.g., a display) in, for example, the electronic communication device 130 shown in Figure 2. The recommendation may include filling guidance, including the agricultural products that need to be filled into one or more tanks of the dispenser or any other mixing unit, and their proportions. 【0132】 In the case of an application plan update, if the updated program differs from the old one, some information may be generated. For example, "We have updated our recommendations for you based on your input. Do you want to update your program?" This may allow the user to decide whether to switch to the updated application plan. Alternatively, the updated program may be shown alongside the old one. The updated program may be highlighted to allow the user to decide whether to switch to the updated application plan. In some examples, if the updated program is unchanged from the old one, some information may be generated. "We have revised your dispersal program based on your input. Nothing has changed - everything is fine." 【0133】 In some examples, control data may be generated based on a generated or updated application plan to control at least one application device 150 shown in Figure 2. The control data may include agricultural product IDs and dosage maps. If two or more agricultural products are used, the control data may include multiple agricultural product IDs and product ratios for each product ID. Product ratios for each product ID may be determined from an expected spread map. In some examples, application rates may be determined for a mixture in a single-tank system. In some examples, application rates may be determined for each product ID for products in a multi-tank system. The control data may be provided to at least one application plan configured to implement the application plan. 【0134】 Figure 11 shows an exemplary application device 400 configured to implement an application plan. The exemplary application device 400 may include a processing unit 430, a monitoring unit 432, a mission controller 442, a communication interface 444, a GPS 446, onboard memory 448, and a battery (BAT) 450. The application device 400 may be detachably mounted to a ground platform (e.g., a tractor) or an aerial platform (e.g., a drone), or it may be directly mounted. 【0135】 The processing unit 430 may include an actuator 434 and an actuator controller 436. The actuator 434 is configured to adjust the release of crop protection product in response to a control signal provided by the actuator controller 436. 【0136】 The monitoring unit 432 may include a sensor 438 and a sensor controller 440 for controlling the sensor to detect one or more conditions on the field. The sensor 438 may be an optical sensor that provides an image of the field. Suitable optical sensors are multispectral cameras, stereo cameras, IR cameras, CCD cameras, hyperspectral cameras, ultrasonic cameras, or LIDAR (light detection and ranging system) cameras, or any combination thereof. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor may include further sensors for measuring humidity, light, temperature, wind, or any other suitable conditions on the field. 【0137】 The processing unit 430 and the monitoring unit 432 are communicably coupled to the mission controller 442 by wired or wireless connection. The mission controller 442 is configured to control the processing unit 430 and the monitoring unit 432 based on an application plan generated according to the method disclosed herein. 【0138】 The communication interface 444 may include hardware and / or software to enable the application device 400 to communicate with other devices and / or networks via a wired or wireless connection. For example, the communication interface 444 may enable the application device 400 to communicate with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a robot, a ground station, a cloud environment, a remote controller, a yield map, or any combination thereof. 【0139】 The onboard memory 448 may be volatile memory such as RAM, or non-volatile memory such as flash memory. Software containing instructions that configure the processing unit 430 and the monitoring unit 432 to perform functions according to the application plan can be downloaded and stored in the onboard memory 448. 【0140】 Accordingly, apparatus, pest control systems, and computer implementation methods are provided for determining a sequence of crop protection measures to be implemented in the field over a season. In crop protection, the most likely targets to be expected (e.g., weeds, diseases, pests, etc.) are estimated before the start of the season in which the crop protection program is initiated. The computer implementation methods and apparatus disclosed herein can use the targets to determine a crop protection strategy, which is most likely to successfully control the targets. The strategy may include a series of crop protection measures, such as mechanical measures (e.g., tilling, mowing, weeding, etc.) and chemical measures (e.g., herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, etc.), over the entire season. In addition, the strategy may be further detailed in a program including a detailed sequence of mechanical measures and / or chemical applications, as well as the corresponding mechanism of action, active ingredients, and / or products. Such methods can be implemented at any time and may be implemented before the start of the season for agricultural, logistical, and commercial reasons. In some embodiments, the computer implementations and apparatus disclosed herein may need to take into account previous applications and changes within the season (e.g., applications that were not made or crop protection measures were implemented in a manner different from those planned). In some embodiments, the computer implementations and apparatus disclosed herein may take into account the interdependencies of applications to determine the optimal application sequence and the products for each application, and to rank the appropriate programs. 【0141】 This exemplary embodiment of the present invention covers both computer programs that use the present invention from the very beginning and computer programs that use updates to convert existing programs into programs that use the present invention. 【0142】 Furthermore, computer program elements may be able to provide all the steps necessary to satisfy the procedures of the exemplary embodiment of the method described above. 【0143】 In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable medium such as a CD-ROM is presented, in which the computer-readable medium stores computer program elements, and the computer program elements are those described in the above section. 【0144】 Computer programs may be stored and / or distributed on suitable media such as optical storage media or solid-state media supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but they may also be distributed in other forms, for example, via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunications systems. 【0145】 However, computer programs can also be presented via networks such as the World Wide Web, and can also be downloaded from such networks into the working memory of a data processor. According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a medium is provided that makes computer program elements available for download, and the computer program elements are arranged to carry out the method described in one of the embodiments of the present invention described above.

Claims

[Claim 1] A device (10) for generating an application plan for controlling pests in a field, Input unit (12), Processing unit (14), Output unit (16), Includes, The input unit (12) is configured to receive information regarding the expected presence of the pests in the coming period. The processing unit (14) is Based on information regarding the expected presence of the pests during the aforementioned future period, a rough control schedule including multiple control periods for controlling the pests is determined. Based on product data containing information on multiple agricultural products, determine at least one program of control treatments to be sequentially applied to the field to control the pests during the multiple control periods, and determine that each control period is associated with at least one control treatment selected from chemical or mechanical treatments. To generate at least one program of the application plan and / or control action, which includes the determined rough control schedule having the plurality of control periods, It is configured to do the following: The output unit (16) is configured to provide the generated application plan. [Claim 2] The aforementioned processing unit is Identifying the results of controlling the pest using at least one program of control measures, If the results of controlling the aforementioned pests meet the predefined management objectives for the future period, then the application plan shall be created. The apparatus according to claim 1, configured to perform the following: [Claim 3] The input unit (12) receives the following information regarding the field: Soil data showing the soil conditions of the aforementioned field, Crop variety data relating to crops currently being grown or planned to be grown in the field during the aforementioned future period, Environmental data showing the environmental conditions on the field during the aforementioned future period, Crop management data showing the application history of agricultural products in the aforementioned field, and Location data of the previous field It is configured to receive one or more of the following: The processing unit (14) is configured to determine a detailed control schedule having a plurality of control periods determined based on the information regarding the expected presence of the pests and the information regarding the field. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the generated application plan includes at least one program of the determined detailed control schedule and / or the control action having the plurality of control periods. [Claim 4] The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the aforementioned periods is part of a defined crop growing season. [Claim 5] At least one chemical treatment includes a list of agricultural products suitable for controlling the pests over one or more control periods, The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processing unit (14) is configured to select an agricultural product from the list based on at least one predefined criterion. [Claim 6] The aforementioned at least one predefined criterion is: Information on agricultural product rotation, Information on preventing resistance, and Information about the type and / or quantity of agricultural products in stock. The apparatus according to claim 5, comprising one or more of the above. [Claim 7] At least one chemical treatment includes a list of agricultural products suitable for controlling the pests over one or more control periods, The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing unit (14) is configured to rank the agricultural products based on their relevant control efficacy against the pests. [Claim 8] The at least one program of the control treatment includes a plurality of different programs of control treatment suitable for controlling the pests during the plurality of control periods. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the processing unit is configured to rank the plurality of different programs of control actions based on a predefined ranking criterion, and to select one program of control actions for the application plan based on the ranking. [Claim 9] The aforementioned predefined ranking criteria are: Crop yield, The level of resistance of the pest to the at least one program of the control treatment, Information about the type and / or quantity of agricultural products in stock, and Information about machines currently in stock The apparatus according to claim 8, comprising one or more of the above. [Claim 10] The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the plurality of different programs of the control treatment include at least two programs of control treatment generated for different pest control scenarios, each pest control scenario corresponding to the respective predefined pest spread status. [Claim 11] The input unit is configured to receive data indicating the occurrence of an event during or after the execution of the selected program for the control action. The aforementioned processing unit is Determine whether the event has caused or is expected to cause a change in the planned outcome of controlling the pest, Determine whether the planned changes to the control of the pests have resulted in or are expected to result in a change in the spread of the pests. In response to a determination that the planned change in the results of controlling the pest has resulted in or is expected to result in a change in the pest spread, the system is configured to select another control action program having a pest control scenario corresponding to the changed pest spread. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the output unit is configured to provide the other selected program of the control action as an updated application plan. [Claim 12] The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the processing unit (14) is configured to generate a control file containing control parameters for at least one application device to control the pests in accordance with the application plan, and / or generate filling guidance containing the required agricultural products and the ratios thereof to be filled into one or more tanks of at least one application device. [Claim 13] The aforementioned harmful organisms include one or more of the following: weeds, fungal diseases, and insects. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the agricultural product includes a crop protection product, preferably a herbicide product, a fungicide product, and / or a pesticide product. [Claim 14] A hazardous organism management system (200), An apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, configured to generate an application plan for controlling pests on a field, At least one application device (150) configured to control the pests in accordance with the application plan, A pest control system equipped with the following features. [Claim 15] A computer implementation method (300) for generating an application plan for controlling pests in a field, a) Receiving information regarding the expected presence of the aforementioned harmful organisms in the future (310), b) Based on the information relating to the expected presence of the pests in the future period, determine a rough control schedule including multiple control periods for controlling the pests (320), c) Determining (330) a program of control treatments to be sequentially applied to the field to control the pests during the multiple control periods, based on product data including information on multiple agricultural products, wherein each control period is associated with each of the at least one control treatments selected from chemical treatments or mechanical treatments. d) Generating the application plan which includes the determined rough control schedule having the plurality of control periods and the at least one program of the control action (340), e) Providing the generated application plan (350), Methods that include...

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