Crop-related value derivation device and crop-related value derivation method

Abstract

By performing processing that takes into account the characteristic of obtaining index values ​​through remote observation, it becomes possible to derive crop-related values ​​with high accuracy. [Solution] The crop-related value derivation device 1 comprises a first actual value acquisition unit 10 that acquires a first actual value obtained by remote observation of an area, a correction unit 11 that derives a corrected value by correcting the first actual value based on the situation when the remote observation of the area was made so that it becomes the value that would be obtained if the observation were made under specified circumstances, and a crop-related value derivation unit 12 that derives the amount of fertilizer to be applied when top dressing is applied to the area by inputting the corrected value into a first calculation formula, so that the first actual value obtained by remote observation of the field is not input directly into the first calculation formula, but is corrected so that it becomes the value that would be obtained if the observation were made under specified circumstances before input.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a crop-related value derivation device and a crop-related value derivation method for deriving crop-related values related to crops.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for crops cultivated in a field, it has been found that there is a correlation between the index value of a predetermined index obtained by remote observation of the field and the appropriate fertilization amount at the time of topdressing. When topdressing the field, the actual value (actual value) of the index value of a predetermined index is obtained by remote observation of the field, and the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing is determined based on the actual value. As an example, the actual value related to NDVI is obtained by sensing from above using a drone, and the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing is determined using this. Here, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for obtaining crop information (actual value) of a field based on a shooting result by shooting the entire field with a camera provided remotely from the field to such an extent that the entire field can be photographed with respect to the actual value obtained by remote observation of the field.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The fertilization amount at the time of topdressing strongly affects the growth of crops after topdressing, the quality and quantity of the final harvested product, etc. Therefore, for a device that derives the fertilization amount based on the actual value obtained by remote observation, it is required to perform processing based on the feature of obtaining the actual value by remote observation and derive the fertilization amount with high accuracy.

[0005] The above problems can widely occur in the technology of remotely observing the area constituting the crop cultivation area where crops are cultivated to obtain actual values and deriving crop-related values related to the crops based on these actual values. The crop-related values include the yield of the harvested product, the current or future quality of the crops, the time when the crops are predicted to reach a predetermined state, the damage situation of the crops, and the state of the environment affecting the crops, etc.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to be able to derive crop-related values with high accuracy by performing processing based on the feature of obtaining actual values through remote observation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, a first actual value obtained by remotely observing the area constituting the crop cultivation area is acquired, and the first actual value is based on the situation when the remote observation of the area is performed. predetermined Observation is performed in a predetermined situation as The correction value is derived by correcting it to be the value in the case. Then, using the index value of the first index in the case where the observation is performed in the predetermined situation as the input and the crop-related value as the output total It is an arithmetic expression, A first calculation formula which is a calculation formula adjusted to output the agricultural product related value which is an appropriate value for setting the state of the agricultural product for a predetermined category as a target state when the index value of the first index obtained by the observation performed in a predetermined situation is input By inputting the correction value into it, the crop-related value is derived.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] When obtaining actual values through remote observation of areas constituting the field crop cultivation area, the value of the actual value may change according to the situation at the time of observation. If crop-related values are derived without considering the change in the actual value due to the situation at the time of observation, the accuracy of the derived crop-related values may decrease. As an example, even when the same field is observed from the same position with observation equipment of the same specifications, if the solar radiation changes, the value of the actual value changes. If crop-related values are derived without considering such a change in the actual value, the accuracy of the crop-related values will decrease. Also, when obtaining actual values through remote observation of an area, the accuracy level of the actual value itself may change according to the situation at the time of observation. If crop-related values are derived without considering the change in the accuracy level of the actual value due to the situation at the time of observation, the accuracy of the derived crop-related values may decrease. As an example, even when the same field is observed in the same natural environment with observation equipment of the same specifications, the higher the altitude of the observation position, the lower the accuracy of the actual value. If crop-related values are derived without considering such a change in the accuracy level of the actual value, the accuracy of the crop-related values will decrease.

[0009] Based on the above, according to the present invention configured as described above, when deriving crop-related values, the first actual value obtained through remote observation of the area is not directly input into the first calculation formula, but is input after being corrected so as to be the value when the observation is performed under a predetermined situation. For this reason, when the value of the actual value changes according to the situation at the time of observation, regardless of the actual situation at the time of observation, the actual value is corrected so as to be the value when the observation is performed under a predetermined situation, and the corrected actual value can be input into the first calculation formula. As a result, it is possible to derive crop-related values in a state where a decrease in accuracy due to a change in the actual value according to the situation at the time of observation is suppressed.

[0010] In addition, when the accuracy of the actual value changes according to the situation at the time of observation, the actual value derived based on the observation performed in the situation where the accuracy of the obtained actual value is low is corrected so as to be the value when the observation is performed in the situation where the accuracy of the obtained actual value is high, and the corrected actual value can be input into the first calculation formula. As a result, it is possible to derive the crop-related value in a state where a decrease in accuracy due to a change in the level of accuracy of the actual value according to the situation at the time of observation is suppressed. That is, according to the present invention, by performing processing based on the feature that the actual value is obtained by remote observation, the crop-related value can be derived with high accuracy.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] <First Embodiment> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a crop-related value derivation device 1 according to this embodiment. The crop-related value derivation device 1 is a device that derives the amount of fertilizer to be applied at the time of topdressing (details of topdressing will be described later) in rice cultivation (hereinafter referred to as the "topdressing application amount"), and provides information indicating the topdressing application amount to the user. The topdressing application amount corresponds to the "crop-related value" in the claims. In particular, the crop-related value derivation device 1 according to this embodiment derives the topdressing application amount for each of a plurality of fields (regions) targeting a plurality of fields. The user can appropriately determine the amount of fertilizer to be actually applied with reference to the information indicating the topdressing application amount provided by the crop-related value derivation device 1 at the time of topdressing. In this embodiment, when referring to the "application amount", unless otherwise specified, it refers to the amount of fertilizer per unit area.

[0013] In the following description, regarding the target rice and rice cultivation, it is assumed that the rice variety, the environment in which rice cultivation is carried out (region (cold region, warm region, dry region, etc.), altitude, field scale), the method of rice cultivation, the type of fertilizer, and other external factors affecting the growth of rice are common. Therefore, the topdressing application amount derived by the crop-related value derivation device 1 is the appropriate application amount when applying a specific type of fertilizer to a specific variety of rice cultivated by a specific method in a specific environment.

[0014] In this embodiment, "topdressing" means the following. That is, generally, in a certain period, after rice is transplanted from the seedling stage to the field by transplanting, it grows through stages such as tillering stage → young panicle formation stage → heading stage → flowering and pollination stage → panicle alignment stage → ripening stage → maturity stage. During the period from around the young panicle formation stage to around the heading stage (hereinafter referred to as the "topdressing target period"), usually, for the purpose of increasing the number of grains per panicle and the amount of starch filled in the grains, additional fertilizer called panicle fertilizer is applied at a predetermined timing. And in this embodiment, "topdressing" means the additional application of fertilizer performed at a predetermined timing during the topdressing target period.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, a crop-related value derivation device 1 is connected to a display device 2 such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and an input device 3 such as a mouse or a keyboard. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the crop-related value derivation device 1 includes, as a functional configuration, a first actual value acquisition unit 10, a correction unit 11, and a crop-related value derivation unit 12. Each of the above functional blocks 10 to 12 can be configured by any of hardware, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and software. For example, when configured by software, each of the above functional blocks 10 to 12 is actually configured with a computer's CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and is realized by the operation of a program stored in a recording medium such as RAM, ROM, a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory. Further, the crop-related value derivation device 1 includes a storage unit 13 as a storage means. The data stored in the storage unit 13 will be described later.

[0016] In this embodiment, the crop-related value derivation device 1 derives the topdressing fertilizer application rate for each field and provides the information, triggered by an instruction (hereinafter referred to as "information provision instruction") from the user to provide information indicating the topdressing fertilizer application rate to the input device 3. Hereinafter, the operation of the crop-related value derivation device 1 when there is an information provision instruction from the user to the input device 3 will be described in detail. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the crop-related value derivation device 1 derives the topdressing fertilizer application rate for 10 fields. Also, the 10 fields for which the topdressing fertilizer application rate is to be derived are referred to as "target fields". Note that the trigger for starting the process related to the derivation of the topdressing fertilizer application rate is not limited to that exemplified in this embodiment. For example, it may be triggered by the arrival of a predetermined date and time.

[0017] When the first actual value acquisition unit 10 detects that there is an information provision instruction for the input device 3, it executes the following processing. That is, first, the first actual value acquisition unit 10 acquires the overhead data stored in the storage unit 13. The overhead data is image data generated by collectively photographing the rice communities in 10 fields from above (remotely) by a multi-spectral sensor mounted on a drone at a predetermined timing (hereinafter referred to as "measurement timing") before the timing of topdressing. The measurement timing is a timing predetermined as the timing for performing photographing to obtain overhead data used for deriving the topdressing amount at the time of topdressing, and is, for example, immediately before the timing of topdressing, three weeks before heading, four weeks before heading, and the like. In this embodiment, when generating the overhead data, it is assumed that all the target fields are collectively photographed. However, the fields may be photographed from above a plurality of times, and the overhead data may be generated based on the results of the plurality of photographings. In this case, the overhead data does not necessarily have to be single data and may be a set of a plurality of data.

[0018] However, in this embodiment, the photographing by the multi-spectral sensor mounted on the drone is performed from a specific position (three-dimensional position including altitude) in a specific time zone using a multi-spectral sensor with specific specifications at the photographing timing (specific period). For example, when the drone flies by remote control by a radio controller, information indicating the three-dimensional position of the drone is constantly provided to the operator. The operator grasps the three-dimensional position of the drone based on the provided information, makes the drone reach a specific position, and then executes the photographing by the multi-spectral sensor. Also, when the drone is capable of autonomous flight, a specific position is set as the target flight position, and the photographing is executed after the drone reaches this target flight position.

[0019] The first actual value acquisition unit 10 analyzes the acquired aerial data and derives and acquires the actual value (actual value) of the NDVI index value for each target field by a well-known method. Note that information necessary for deriving the actual value related to the NDVI for each target field based on the aerial data, such as information indicating the area of each target field in the aerial data, is registered in advance. Hereinafter, the actual value related to the NDVI for each target field acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit 10 based on the aerial data is particularly referred to as the "aerial NDVI value". NDVI (NDVI as an index) corresponds to the "first index" in the claims, and particularly corresponds to "NDVI obtained by sensing from above using a drone". Also, the aerial NDVI value corresponds to the "first actual value" in the claims,

[0020] Here, in this embodiment, the aerial data used for deriving the aerial NDVI value is generated based on the shooting results of a multispectral sensor mounted on a drone. In this way, by using a drone for generating the aerial data, it is possible to shoot a wide area covering a plurality of fields by a simple means, shorten the time required for the work, and reduce the labor required for the work. Note that the device used for observation (sensing) is not limited to a multispectral sensor, and as an example, it may be an infrared thermograph. Also, the index (first index) is not limited to NDVI. Also, the observation does not necessarily have to be performed using a drone, and it may be performed using a device mounted on a flying object other than a drone, a device installed on the upper part of a tower, a device installed on a dedicated installation stand, etc. Also, satellite photos may be used for deriving the aerial NDVI value (or the first actual value corresponding thereto).

[0021] When photographing a field using a drone as described above and deriving the aerial NDVI value based on the photographing result, it is possible to shorten the time required for the work and reduce the labor. On the other hand, even if the same field is photographed at the same shooting timing by a multi-spectral sensor with the same specifications from the same position (3D position including altitude as described above) in the same time zone, and the aerial NDVI value for each target field is derived based on the photographing result, the value of the derived aerial NDVI value changes depending on the solar irradiance at the time of shooting (the situation at the time of observation). This is because the aerial NDVI value is basically obtained by observing the reflected light using the sun as a light source, so the value becomes small when the solar irradiance at the time of shooting is low, and conversely, the value becomes large when the solar irradiance is high. That is, the solar irradiance is an element of the natural environment that affects the index value of the first index (NDVI) to be observed when the target area (field), the specifications of the observation device (multi-spectral sensor), the timing of observation (measurement timing) and time zone, and the position of observation are the same.

[0022] In this embodiment, the first actual value acquisition unit 10 is configured to derive and acquire the aerial NDVI value. In this regard, it may be configured such that the aerial NDVI value for each target field is derived in advance by an external device, and the first actual value acquisition unit 10 acquires it. However, even in this case, the shooting of the target field for generating the aerial NDVI value is performed from a specific position in a specific time zone by a shooting device with specific specifications.

[0023] Now, after the first actual value acquisition unit 10 acquires the aerial NDVI value of each target field, it outputs the acquired aerial NDVI value to the correction unit 11 in association with the identification information of each field. Note that identification information is pre-assigned to each of the 10 target fields, and each individual target field is managed by the identification information.

[0024] When the correction unit 11 inputs the aerial NDVI value together with the identification information for each of the 10 target fields, it executes the following processing. That is, the correction unit 11 accesses the storage unit 13 and acquires the shooting solar radiation amount information stored in the storage unit 13. The shooting solar radiation amount information is information indicating the total daily solar radiation amount (hereinafter simply referred to as "solar radiation amount") when the aerial data from which the aerial NDVI value is derived was shot. The solar radiation amount when the shooting is performed is measured by, for example, a solar radiation sensor provided on the drone. However, any method may be used for measuring the solar radiation amount. The solar radiation amount can also vary depending on the weather at the time of shooting, the period at the time of shooting, the time zone at the time of shooting, and the like.

[0025] Next, the correction unit 11 determines the solar radiation amount level (corresponding to the "sunlight condition" in the claims) of the solar radiation amount (hereinafter referred to as "shooting solar radiation amount") indicated by the shooting solar radiation amount information. In this embodiment, three levels of low level, medium level, and high level (where low level < medium level < high level) are set as the solar radiation amount levels, and the threshold value at the boundary between the low level and the medium level and the threshold value at the boundary between the medium level and the high level are determined in advance. As an example, when "solar radiation amount ≤ 2.0 MJ / m 2 / h", it is the low level, when "2.0 MJ / m 2 / h ≤ solar radiation amount < 3.0 MJ / m 2 / h", it is the medium level, and when "3.0 MJ / m 2 / h ≤ solar radiation amount", it is the high level. In the case where the shooting solar radiation amount is "1.5 MJ / m 2 / h", the correction unit 11 determines that the solar radiation amount level of the shooting solar radiation amount is the low level. In this embodiment, the "medium level" corresponds to the "predetermined solar radiation amount level" in the claims.

[0026] After determining the solar radiation level, the correction unit 11 executes different processes depending on the solar radiation level. Hereinafter, the processes of the correction unit 11 will be described for each solar radiation level. Hereinafter, the NDVI values of the upper air derived based on the shooting results when the solar radiation is at a low level, a medium level, and a high level are referred to as "NDVI value at low level", "NDVI value at medium level", and "NDVI value at high level", respectively. Also, each solar radiation level corresponds to the "possible sunlight situation" in the claims.

[0027] <Case of low level> When the solar radiation level of the solar radiation at the time of shooting is at a low level, the correction unit 11 uses the NDVI value conversion formula at low level (corresponding to the "second calculation formula" in the claims) for each target field to derive a corrected NDVI value (corresponding to the "corrected value" in the claims) from the NDVI value at low level. More specifically, the NDVI value conversion formula at low level is a formula that converts the NDVI value at low level into a value (strictly speaking, a value as close as possible to the derived value) that would be derived if shooting were being performed when the solar radiation is at a medium level.

[0028] Therefore, for a certain target field at a certain timing, assume that the NDVI derived when the solar radiation level of the solar radiation is at a low level is the α value, and the NDVI derived when the solar radiation level is at a medium level is the β value. In this case, when the α value is input into the NDVI value conversion formula at low level, the β value or a value close to the β value is output from the calculation formula. The value converted by the NDVI value conversion formula at low level (that is, the output of the conversion formula at low level) is the "corrected NDVI value". Note that in this embodiment (the same applies to the second embodiment described later), the calculation formula conceptually represents not only a simple mathematical formula but also a function (model) defined in a program and a function (model) that can be called from a program.

[0029] The low-level NDVI value conversion formula is derived in advance in the following manner. That is, through ongoing research and experiments, a considerable amount of data is accumulated, namely, a group of NDVI values obtained from aerial photography under different solar irradiance conditions for fields with the same (or similar) growth status. Fields with the same growth status are determined based on, for example, the plant height, number of stems, leaf color, etc. indicating the growth status, which are observed on-site. Also, for example, fields with the same growth status are those with common index values that are not affected (or have limited influence) by solar irradiance. Index values that are not affected (or have limited influence) by solar irradiance are, for example, the NDVI index values measured by a portable NDVI measuring device with a light source. Then, in a situation where the growth status of the target field is common and among the environmental factors affecting the derivation of the NDVI index value, only the solar irradiance can vary, the correlation between the "NDVI index value based on photography when the solar irradiance is at a low level" and the "NDVI index value based on photography when the solar irradiance is at a medium level" is analyzed. And based on the analyzed correlation, a low-level NDVI value conversion formula is derived to convert the NDVI index value derived from the photography result when the solar irradiance level is low to the value (= corrected NDVI value) when photography is performed at a medium level.

[0030] Figure 2 is a diagram in which a line segment representing the low-level NDVI value conversion formula (a line segment consisting of a set of points showing the correspondence between the low-level NDVI value and the corrected NDVI value) is drawn in a two-dimensional space where the horizontal axis is the low-level NDVI value and the vertical axis is the corrected NDVI value. In the example of Figure 2, the low-level NDVI value conversion formula is "corrected NDVI value = low-level NDVI value + 0.1". For example, when the low-level NDVI value is "0.4", the corrected NDVI value is derived as "0.5". Note that the low-level NDVI value conversion formula shown in Figure 2 is a simplified example and may be expressed as a quadratic or higher-order function or other forms of functions. Also, instead of a function, the correspondence between the low-level NDVI value and the corrected NDVI value may be defined by a table associating the corrected NDVI value for each possible value of the low-level NDVI value.

[0031] When the solar radiation level of the solar radiation amount at the time of shooting is at a low level, the correction unit 11 derives a corrected NDVI value for each target field by inputting the upper-air NDVI value (NDVI value at the low level) into the above-described NDVI value conversion formula at the low level.

[0032] <In the case of the medium level> When the solar radiation level of the solar radiation amount at the time of shooting is at a medium level, the correction unit 11 directly uses the upper-air NDVI value (NDVI value at the medium level) as the corrected NDVI value for each target field. Note that it is for convenience of explanation that those for which no value correction is performed are referred to as "corrected NDVI values".

[0033] <In the case of the high level> When the solar radiation level of the solar radiation amount at the time of shooting is at a high level, the correction unit 11 derives a corrected NDVI value based on the upper-air NDVI value for each target field using the NDVI value conversion formula at the high level (corresponding to the "second calculation formula" in the claims). The NDVI value conversion formula at the high level is a formula for converting the NDVI value at the high level into a value (or a value close to the derived value) that would be derived if shooting was being performed when the solar radiation amount was at the medium level. The NDVI value conversion formula at the high level is derived in advance in the same manner as the NDVI value conversion formula at the low level.

[0034] As described above, the correction unit 11 derives a corrected NDVI value for each target field by a method corresponding to the solar radiation level of the solar radiation amount at the time of shooting. The correction unit 11 outputs the derived corrected NDVI value in association with the identification information of each field to the crop-related value derivation unit 12.

[0035] The crop-related value derivation unit 12 inputs a combination of the corrected NDVI value and the identification information for each target field from the correction unit 11. Next, the crop-related value derivation unit 12 inputs the corrected NDVI value into the fertilizer application amount derivation calculation formula (corresponding to the "first calculation formula" in the claims) for each target field, and derives the fertilizer application amount obtained as the output value as the final fertilizer application amount at the topdressing time.

[0036] The fertilization rate derivation calculation formula is a formula that inputs the index value of NDVI and outputs the fertilization rate at the time of topdressing. The fertilization rate output when one index value of NDVI is input into the fertilization rate derivation calculation formula is the necessary and appropriate fertilization rate at the time of topdressing to make the state of the agricultural crops (including the harvested products of the agricultural crops) for a predetermined category the target state when the index value of NDVI at the time of topdressing is the input value. In particular, the fertilization rate derivation calculation formula according to the present embodiment inputs the index value of NDVI derived based on the shooting result performed when the solar radiation level is at the medium level (inputs the index value of the first index when the observation is performed in a predetermined situation), and is a formula that outputs the fertilization rate at the time of topdressing.

[0037] The state of the agricultural crops for a predetermined category is, for example, the appearance or taste quality of the agricultural crops, the yield of the harvested product, the number of grains, the index of the growth process after topdressing, etc. The index of the growth process after topdressing is, for example, the chlorophyll meter value (SPAD value) at the heading stage after topdressing. In addition, when the chlorophyll meter value (SPAD value) at the heading stage is equal to or higher than a certain value, it can be said that the quality is good.

[0038] For example, the output of the fertilization rate derivation calculation formula is the necessary and appropriate fertilization rate at the time of topdressing to make the yield of the harvested product (yield per unit) ○○ kg. In this case, the yield of the harvested product corresponds to "the state of the agricultural crops for a predetermined category", and the state where the yield is ○○ kg corresponds to the "target state". And in this case, it is expected that the yield of the harvested product will be ○○ kg by applying the fertilizer corresponding to the output value of the fertilization rate derivation calculation formula at the time of topdressing.

[0039] For example, the output of the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula is the amount of topdressing fertilizer that is necessary and appropriate to make the ratio of low-quality harvested products to the total harvested products (hereinafter referred to as "low-quality ratio") ○○%. Note that low-quality harvested products are, for example, white immature grains (such as belly white grains, back white grains, basal immature grains, heart white grains, milky white grains, etc.), other immature grains, damaged grains, dead rice, colored grains, etc. In this case, the low-quality ratio corresponds to "the state of the agricultural crop for a predetermined category", and the state where the low-quality ratio is ○○% corresponds to the "target state". And in this case, it is expected that the low-quality ratio will become ○○% by applying the amount of fertilizer corresponding to the output value of the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula at the time of topdressing. Note that it goes without saying that instead of the low-quality ratio, the ratio of "whole grains" of the harvested product may also be used.

[0040] Figure 3 simplifies and shows the relationship between the NDVI index value at the measurement timing and the amount of fertilizer applied at the time of topdressing when the above-mentioned low-quality ratio (the state of the agricultural crop for a predetermined category) is set to 5% (target state) by a linear equation drawn in a two-dimensional space with the NDVI index value at the measurement timing on the vertical axis and the amount of fertilizer applied at the time of topdressing on the horizontal axis. As shown in Figure 3, there is a relationship where the amount of fertilizer applied at the time of topdressing when the low-quality ratio is 5% decreases as the NDVI index value increases. Thus, when the state of the agricultural crop for a predetermined category is set to the target state, there is a strong correlation between the NDVI index value at the measurement timing and the amount of fertilizer applied at the time of topdressing.

[0041] In this embodiment, the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula is obtained based on a multiple regression equation obtained by performing multiple regression analysis with the state of the agricultural crop as the target variable and the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing and the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing as explanatory variables, regarding the relationship between the combination of the accumulated past actual fertilization amount at the time of topdressing and the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing, and the state of the agricultural crop for a predetermined category. However, the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula according to this embodiment is a calculation formula on the premise that the index value of NDVI derived based on the shooting result when the solar radiation level is at the medium level is input, and is adjusted to output an appropriate fertilization amount when such an index value of NDVI is input.

[0042] Specifically, in advance, by means of experiments or observations of existing fields, data indicating the relationship between the combination of the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing and the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing, and the state of the agricultural crop for a predetermined category, that is, data indicating that when the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing is ○○ and the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing is ○○, the state of the agricultural crop for the predetermined category was ○○, is accumulated. The index value of NDVI at the time of topdressing at this time is appropriately converted into the index value of NDVI assuming that the solar radiation level at the time of shooting was at the medium level by using the above-described low-level NDVI value conversion formula or high-level NDVI value conversion formula. The state of the agricultural crop for a predetermined category can be defined from various viewpoints.

[0043] For the accumulated data, multiple regression analysis is performed with the state of the agricultural crop for a predetermined category as the target variable and the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing and the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing as the explanatory variables, and a multiple regression equation defining the relationship between the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing and the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing for setting the state of the agricultural crop to the target state is generated. For example, when the state of the agricultural crop is the low-quality ratio described above, a multiple regression equation defining the relationship between the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing and the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing for setting the low-quality ratio to the target state (for example, 5%) is generated. Then, based on the multiple regression equation, a fertilization amount derivation calculation formula is generated with the index value of NDVI as the input and the fertilization amount determined from the relationship between the index value of NDVI and the fertilization amount represented by the multiple regression equation as the output. The output of the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula generated in this way corresponds to the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing that is necessary and appropriate for setting the state of the agricultural crop to the target state when the input value is the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing. Note that the multiple regression equation may be created for each growth stage of the rice, for example, 30 days, 25 days, 20 days, 15 days, 10 days, 5 days before heading. In this case, to determine how many days before heading the growth diagnosis is performed, it can be estimated from the planting location, variety, transplanting date, leaf age and seedling posture of the seedlings, temperature, day length, etc., or from the length of the young panicle.

[0044] Note that the content of the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula of this embodiment is merely a simplified example. The fertilization amount derivation calculation formula may be any formula that takes the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing as one of the inputs and outputs the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing that is necessary and appropriate for setting the state of the agricultural crop to the target state. As an example, in addition to the NDVI at the measurement timing, the formula may take the element value of an element that affects the state of the agricultural crop as an input and output the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing taking into account the said element. The said element is, for example, the temperature during a specific period (the predicted temperature for a period that has not arrived (for example, the ripening period)) or the rainfall amount during a specific period. Also, the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula does not necessarily have to be generated by multiple regression analysis, and various machine learning (for example, machine learning using a neural network) can be applied to generate the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula.

[0045] After deriving the final topdressing fertilizer application rate for each of the 10 target fields, the crop-related value derivation unit 12 controls the display device 2 to display, in the display area of the display device 2, information indicating the derived topdressing fertilizer application rate in association with the identification information for each of the 10 target fields. By referring to the display device 2, the user can recognize the topdressing fertilizer application rate derived by the crop-related value derivation device 1 for each of the 10 target fields, which can be used as a reference when determining the actual fertilizer application rate during topdressing.

[0046] As described above, the crop-related value derivation device 1 according to the present embodiment acquires the NDVI value (first actual value) above the target field, and corrects the NDVI value above the target field based on the solar radiation amount (situation, sunlight situation) when shooting (remote observation) from the sensor mounted on the drone for the target field, so that the value is the value when shooting is performed at the medium solar radiation level (predetermined situation, predetermined sunlight situation), and derives the corrected NDVI value (corrected value). Then, by inputting the corrected NDVI value into the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula (first calculation formula) that takes the index value of NDVI when shooting is performed at the medium solar radiation level (when observation is performed in a predetermined situation) as the input and outputs the fertilizer application rate (crop-related value) at the time of topdressing, the fertilizer application rate at the time of topdressing for the target field is derived.

[0047] According to this configuration, when deriving the fertilizer application rate at the time of topdressing, the NDVI value above the field obtained by remote observation of the field is not directly input into the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula, but is corrected so as to be the value when shooting is performed at the medium solar radiation level and then input. Therefore, while the actual value changes according to the solar radiation amount at the time of shooting, the NDVI value above the field is corrected so as to be the value when observation is performed in the unified situation of the medium solar radiation level, and the corrected NDVI value generated by the correction can be input into the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula, whereby the fertilizer application rate can be derived while suppressing a decrease in accuracy due to the change in the NDVI value above the field according to the solar radiation amount at the time of shooting.

[0048] Next, the operation of the crop-related value derivation device 1 according to the present embodiment (particularly, the operation when an information provision instruction is given) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4. In the following description, the crop-related value derivation device 1 is assumed to determine the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing for a plurality of fields.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, when the first actual value acquisition unit 10 detects that an information provision instruction has been given to the input device 3, it acquires the respective aerial NDVI values of the target fields based on the aerial data (step SA1). The respective aerial NDVI values of the target fields are output from the first actual value acquisition unit 10 to the correction unit 11. The correction unit 11 acquires the solar radiation amount information at the time of shooting stored in the storage unit 13, and determines the solar radiation level of the solar radiation amount at the time of shooting based on the information (step SA2).

[0050] Next, the correction unit 11 derives the corrected NDVI value for each target field by a method according to the solar radiation level (step SA3). In step SA3, when the solar radiation level is low, the correction unit 11 derives the corrected NDVI value using the NDVI value conversion formula at the low level, and when the solar radiation level is high, the correction unit 11 derives the corrected NDVI value using the NDVI value conversion formula at the high level. When the solar radiation level is at the medium level, the aerial NDVI value is directly used as the corrected NDVI value. The respective corrected NDVI values of the target fields are output from the correction unit 11 to the crop-related value derivation unit 12. The crop-related value derivation unit 12 derives the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing for each of the target fields using the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula based on the corrected NDVI value (step SA4). The crop-related value derivation unit 12 displays the information indicating the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing derived in step SA4 (step SA5).

[0051] <Modification Example of the First Embodiment> Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the solar radiation level is divided into three levels: low, medium, and high, which is for simplicity of explanation. However, it may be divided into two levels or four or more levels. In this case, any one level (referred to as the "reference level") is made to correspond to the "predetermined solar radiation level", and it is necessary to convert the upper-air NDVI value corresponding to other solar radiation levels into the corrected NDVI value corresponding to the reference level. Further, the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula is a formula that derives an appropriate topdressing fertilization amount when the index value of NDVI corresponding to the reference level is input.

[0052] Alternatively, without dividing the solar radiation into levels, the correction unit 11 may be configured to correct the upper-air NDVI value to be the value when shooting is performed at a predetermined solar radiation amount (not a concept with a width like a level, but a pinpoint value). In this case, for example, a calculation formula (corresponding to the "second calculation formula" in the claims) that takes the solar radiation amount at the time of shooting and the upper-air NDVI value as inputs and outputs the corrected NDVI value is derived in advance through research and simulation, and the correction unit 11 derives the corrected NDVI value from the upper-air NDVI value using this calculation formula. Also, in this case, the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula is a formula that takes the index value of NDVI based on the shooting result performed at the predetermined solar radiation amount as an input and outputs the fertilization amount, and the agricultural crop-related value derivation unit 12 derives the topdressing fertilization amount from the corrected NDVI value using such a fertilization amount derivation calculation formula.

[0053] Also, in the above first embodiment, the "situation when remote observation of the area is performed" is the solar radiation amount, and the solar radiation amount corresponds to the "situation of the elements of the natural environment that change the index value of the first index observed when the target area, the specifications of the observation device, the timing and time zone of the observation, and the position of the observation are the same" and the "situation of sunlight" in the claims. However, the situation of the elements of the natural environment is not limited to the solar radiation amount. For example, when the temperature, humidity, or weather conditions change the first index value, these may be included in the situation of the elements of the natural environment. Also, the situation of the elements of the natural environment is not limited to one, and may be a combination of a plurality (for example, a combination of solar radiation amount and temperature).

[0054] In particular, regarding the "sunlight situation", in addition to the solar radiation amount (total daily solar radiation amount) in the first embodiment, it may be any one or a combination of two or more of the total daily solar radiation amount, the diffused light amount or its ratio, the direct light amount or its ratio, or the solar altitude.

[0055] Also, the "situation when remote observation of the area is performed" may be the temporal situation when remote observation of the area (the field in the first embodiment) is performed. In this case, the correction unit 11 corrects the sky NDVI value (the first actual value) acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit 10 based on the temporal situation when remote observation of the field (area) is performed, so as to obtain a value when the observation is performed in a predetermined temporal situation, and derives a corrected value. The crop-related value derivation unit 12 inputs the corrected value derived by the correction unit 11 into a first calculation formula that takes the index value of NDVI (the first index) when the observation is performed in a predetermined temporal situation as an input and outputs the fertilization amount (crop-related value) at the time of topdressing, thereby deriving the fertilization amount (crop-related value) at the time of topdressing. Also, for each possible temporal situation, a second calculation formula for converting the index value of NDVI (the index value of the first index) when the observation is performed in each temporal situation into the index value of NDVI (the index value of the first index) when the observation is performed in a predetermined temporal situation is derived in advance, and the correction unit 11 uses the second calculation formula to derive the corrected value.

[0056] The temporal situation is, for example, the time when the observation was made or the time period during which the observation was made. For example, when the temporal situation is "the time when the observation was made", in a situation where the time when shooting by the multispectral sensor is not fixed (other situations are in principle the same or approximated), the correction unit 11 corrects the aerial NDVI value obtained by the first actual value acquisition unit 10 using a second calculation formula prepared in advance so that it becomes the value when shooting was performed at a predetermined specific time, and derives a corrected value. Also, for example, when the temporal situation is "the time period during which the observation was made", in a situation where the time period during which shooting by the multispectral sensor is not fixed (other situations are in principle the same or approximated), the correction unit 11 corrects the aerial NDVI value obtained by the first actual value acquisition unit 10 using a second calculation formula prepared in advance so that it becomes the value when shooting was performed at a predetermined specific time period, and derives a corrected value.

[0057] Also, the "situation when remote observation of the area is performed" may be the local situation when remote observation of the area (the field in the first embodiment) is performed. In this case, the correction unit 11 corrects the aerial NDVI value (first actual value) obtained by the first actual value acquisition unit 10 based on the local situation when remote observation of the field (area) is performed so that it becomes the value when the observation is performed in a predetermined local situation, and derives a corrected value. The crop-related value derivation unit 12 inputs the corrected value derived by the correction unit 11 into a first calculation formula that takes the index value of NDVI (first index) when the observation is performed in a predetermined local situation as an input and outputs the fertilization amount (crop-related value) at the time of topdressing, thereby deriving the fertilization amount (crop-related value) at the time of topdressing. Also, for each possible local situation, a second calculation formula for converting the index value of NDVI (index value of the first index) when the observation is performed in each local situation into the index value of NDVI (index value of the first index) when the observation is performed in a predetermined local situation is derived in advance, and the correction unit 11 derives a corrected value using the second calculation formula.

[0058] The local situation is, for example, the latitude of the location where the observation was made. For example, when the local situation is "the latitude of the location where the observation was made", in a situation where the latitude of the location where shooting by the multispectral sensor is not fixed (other situations are in principle the same or approximate), the correction unit 11 uses a previously prepared second calculation formula to correct the overhead NDVI value obtained by the first actual value acquisition unit 10 so that it becomes the value when shooting is assumed to have been performed at a predetermined specific latitude, and derives a corrected value.

[0059] <Second Embodiment> Next, the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the crop-related value derivation device 1A according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the crop-related value derivation device 1A according to the present embodiment includes, as functional configurations, a first actual value acquisition unit 10A, a second actual value acquisition unit 20, a correction unit 11A, and a crop-related value derivation unit 12A. Further, the crop-related value derivation device 1A includes a storage unit 13A as storage means. Hereinafter, the crop-related value derivation device 1A, similar to the crop-related value derivation device 1 according to the first embodiment, derives the fertilization amount at topdressing for each target field when there is an information provision instruction, and provides information indicating the fertilization amount at topdressing. Hereinafter, assuming that there are 10 fields for which the fertilization amount at topdressing is to be determined, the operation of the crop-related value derivation device 1A after there is an information provision instruction will be described.

[0060] When the first actual value acquisition unit 10A detects that there is an information provision instruction for the input device 3, it acquires aerial data. As described above, the aerial data is image data generated by the multi-spectral sensor mounted on the drone capturing the rice communities in 10 fields from above at a timing close to the timing of topdressing all at once. (However, as described in the first embodiment, the aerial data does not necessarily have to be generated based on "a single capture", and may be generated based on multiple captures.) However, in the first embodiment, it was assumed that the capture for the aerial data does not necessarily have to be performed using a drone, but in this embodiment, the capture is performed by a sensor mounted on a flying object whose altitude can be changed, such as a drone or a device similar to a drone. The capture for the aerial data is performed from a sufficiently high altitude so that the 10 fields can be captured all at once. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the capture for the aerial data was performed at an altitude of "100 meters". The altitude of the drone when the capture for the aerial data is performed corresponds to the "first altitude" in the claims. After acquiring the aerial data, the first actual value acquisition unit 10A derives and acquires the aerial NDVI value for each target field in the same manner as the first actual value acquisition unit 10 according to the first embodiment based on the aerial data.

[0061] The aerial data used for deriving the aerial NDVI value is generated based on the shooting results of the multispectral sensor mounted on the drone. As described above, by using the drone to generate aerial data by shooting multiple fields at once, the time required for the work can be shortened and the labor required for the work can be reduced. However, due to increasing the altitude of the drone to such an extent that multiple fields can be shot at once, the accuracy of the derived aerial NDVI value decreases compared to the accuracy of NDVI based on the shooting results at a lower altitude. This is because, under the same natural environment (including solar radiation), even when the same field is shot by the same-specification multispectral sensor, the higher the altitude of the drone at the time of shooting, the lower the accuracy of the aerial NDVI value. This is because the higher the altitude of the drone, the greater the separation distance between the field, which is the observation target (subject), and the multispectral sensor. When this separation distance increases, the resolution decreases (= the number of pixels assigned to one field decreases), and the reflected light detected by the sensor weakens. In this embodiment, it is assumed that 10 fields were shot at a position of an altitude of "100 meters" when generating the aerial data, but this is merely an example considering the simplification of the explanation. The altitude of the shooting position, the range shot by one shooting, and other specific shooting modes should be appropriately determined according to the situation. Also, when targeting a wide area (an area exceeding 100 ha as an example), the area may be divided and shot multiple times from a sufficiently high altitude (the first altitude), and each image data based on the shooting results may be combined by orthorectification and used as the aerial NDVI value.

[0062] Now, after the first actual value acquisition unit 10A derives and acquires the aerial NDVI value for each target field, it outputs the acquired aerial NDVI value to the correction unit 11A in association with the identification information of each field.

[0063] When the second actual value acquisition unit 20 detects that there is an information provision instruction for the input device 3, it acquires each of the low-altitude data for each of the three target fields stored in the storage unit 13A. The low-altitude data for a certain one of the target fields is image data generated by shooting with a multi-spectral sensor in a state where the drone is located at a specific altitude close enough to the target field. The altitude (specific altitude) related to the low-altitude data does not need to be high enough to shoot the entire ten target fields, and it may be a height at which a part of one target field to be shot can be shot, so it is sufficiently lower than the altitude related to the high-altitude data. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the altitude related to the low-altitude data is "30 meters". The low-altitude data is generated only for the three target fields when each of the three target fields is shot at low altitude, and the low-altitude data for the other seven target fields is not generated.

[0064] Here, the three target fields are three target fields selected by paying attention to the difference in the rice growth amount from the ten target fields. In this embodiment, the field with the most growth amount (hereinafter referred to as the "maximum field"), the field with the least growth amount (hereinafter referred to as the "minimum field"), and the field with an intermediate growth amount (hereinafter referred to as the "intermediate field") are selected. The intermediate field is, for example, the fifth or sixth target field when the ten target fields are arranged in ascending order of the growth amount. Also, the intermediate field is, for example, the field with the growth amount closest to the intermediate growth amount between the growth amount of the maximum field and the growth amount of the minimum field. Note that the growth amount of each target field is grasped, for example, by observation using existing technologies, and also, for example, when the growth amount is planned to be adjusted for each target field, it is grasped based on the growth amount plan. Hereinafter, the maximum field, the minimum field, and the intermediate field are collectively referred to as the "fields for correction".

[0065] Note that the number of correction fields is set to be less than the total number of target fields including the correction fields. In this embodiment, since the number of correction fields is three, the number of target fields is four or more. However, as will become clear later, when the number of target fields is sufficiently larger than the number of correction fields, the user can effectively obtain the advantages of the crop-related value derivation device 1A according to this embodiment. For this reason, it is preferable that the number of target fields is sufficiently larger than the number of correction fields.

[0066] After acquiring each of the low-altitude data of the three correction fields stored in the storage unit 13A, the second actual value acquisition unit 20 analyzes each of the acquired low-altitude data, and derives and acquires the actual value of the index value of NDVI (first index) for each correction field by a well-known method. Hereinafter, the actual value of the index value of NDVI of the correction field derived based on the low-altitude data is referred to as the "low-altitude NDVI value". The low-altitude NDVI value corresponds to the "second actual value" in the claims. As described above, the shooting for the low-altitude data that is the basis for generating the low-altitude NDVI value was performed at a sufficiently low altitude (in this embodiment, "30 meters") compared to the altitude of the shooting position related to the high-altitude data (in this embodiment, "100 meters"). Therefore, the low-altitude NDVI value derived based on the low-altitude data has less reduction in the accuracy of NDVI due to the weakening of the reflected light of the field detected by the sensor and the decrease in resolution compared to the high-altitude NDVI value, and it can be said that the accuracy is higher than the high-altitude NDVI value.

[0067] After the second actual value acquisition unit 20 derives and acquires the low-altitude NDVI values of the three correction fields, it outputs the acquired low-altitude NDVI values to the correction unit 11A in association with the identification information of each field.

[0068] When the correction unit 11A inputs the high-altitude NDVI values of each of the 10 target fields from the first actual value acquisition unit 10A and inputs the low-altitude NDVI values of each of the three correction fields from the second actual value acquisition unit 20, it executes a correction formula generation process. Hereinafter, the correction formula generation process will be described in detail.

[0069] In the correction formula generation process, the correction unit 11A acquires the low-altitude NDVI value and the high-altitude NDVI value for each of the three correction fields. Next, the correction unit 11A plots points indicating the combination of the high-altitude NDVI value and the low-altitude NDVI value for each of the three correction fields in a two-dimensional space with the high-altitude NDVI value on the horizontal axis and the low-altitude NDVI value on the vertical axis. Next, the correction unit 11A obtains an approximate curve for each of the plotted points. The correction unit 11A converts the formula representing the approximate curve into a calculation formula that takes the high-altitude NDVI value as the input value and outputs the low-altitude NDVI value as the output value, and uses this as the correction calculation formula (corresponding to the "third calculation formula" in the claims).

[0070] For example, as shown in FIG. 6, assume that the identification information for each of the 10 fields is H01, H02, H03 ··· H10, and among them, the three fields with identification numbers H01, H02, and H09 are the correction fields. Also assume that the high-altitude NDVI values for the fields with identification numbers H01 to H10 are as shown in the figure, and the low-altitude NDVI values for the fields with identification numbers H01, H02, and H09 are as shown in the figure. In this case, in a two-dimensional space with the high-altitude NDVI value on the horizontal axis and the low-altitude NDVI value on the vertical axis, points indicating the combination of the low-altitude NDVI value and the high-altitude NDVI value for each of the three correction fields with identification numbers H01, H02, and H09 are plotted, and the approximate curve obtained therefrom is as shown in FIG. 7. The correction calculation formula obtained based on the approximate curve is "output value (low-altitude NDVI value) = input value (high-altitude NDVI value) + 0.10".

[0071] Hereinafter, the index value of NDVI obtained from the shooting result at an altitude of 100 meters is referred to as the "high-altitude index value", and the index value of NDVI obtained from the shooting result at an altitude of 30 meters is referred to as the "low-altitude index value". The output value obtained by inputting one high-altitude index value into the correction formula generated in such a way can be said to be a virtual conversion of the one high-altitude index value into a low-altitude index value according to the correlation between the overhead NDVI value and the low-altitude NDVI value for the correction field. And as described above, the low-altitude index value is more accurate than the high-altitude index value, and the output value corrected according to the correlation between the overhead NDVI value and the low-altitude NDVI value for the correction field can be said to be an NDVI index value with higher accuracy than the input value.

[0072] Here, as described above, in this embodiment, three fields are selected as the correction fields: the field with the largest growth amount, the field with the smallest growth amount, and the field with an intermediate growth amount. This is for the following reasons. That is, as is well known, the growth amount in the field affects the index value of NDVI for the field, and there is a positive correlation between the growth amount and the index value of NDVI. By selecting the correction fields according to the above policy, it becomes possible to plot three points moderately spaced in a two-dimensional space with the overhead NDVI value on the horizontal axis and the low-altitude NDVI value on the vertical axis, and the validity of the approximate curve derived based on the positions of each point can be enhanced.

[0073] The above processing is the correction formula generation processing. After generating the correction formula by the correction formula generation processing, the correction unit 11A executes the following processing. That is, for the correction field, the correction unit 11A uses the low-altitude NDVI value as it is as the corrected NDVI value (corresponding to the "corrected value" in the claims). Further, for each of the seven fields (hereinafter referred to as "fields to be corrected") that are not correction fields, the correction unit 11A inputs the overhead NDVI value into the correction formula and uses the output value as the corrected NDVI value.

[0074] For example, referring to FIG. 6, for seven fields to be corrected, assuming that the NDVI values from above are as shown in FIG. 6 and the correction calculation formula is "output value = input value + 0.10", for these seven fields to be corrected, the corrected NDVI values will be as shown in FIG. 8. Focusing on the field to be corrected with the identification number H03, the NDVI value from above for this field to be corrected is "0.40", and the output value obtained by inputting this as the input value into the correction calculation formula is "0.40 + 0.10 = 0.50".

[0075] After deriving the corrected NDVI values for each of the target fields (three correction fields + seven fields to be corrected), the correction unit 11A outputs the derived corrected NDVI values to the crop-related value derivation unit 12A in association with the identification information of each field.

[0076] When the crop-related value derivation unit 12A receives the corrected NDVI values for each of the target fields from the correction unit 11A, for each of the target fields, it inputs the corrected NDVI value into the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula and derives the fertilizer application rate obtained as the output value as the final fertilizer application rate at the topdressing time. As described in the first embodiment, the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula is a calculation formula that inputs the index value of NDVI and outputs the necessary and appropriate fertilizer application rate at the topdressing time to make the state of the crop the target state when the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing is the input value. However, the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula according to this embodiment is a calculation formula premised on the input of the low-altitude index value derived based on the shooting result when the altitude of the drone is "30 meters", and is adjusted to output an appropriate fertilizer application rate when such a low-altitude index value is input.

[0077] After determining the final topdressing fertilizer application rate for each of the 10 target fields, the crop-related value derivation unit 12A controls the display device 2 to display, in the display area of the display device 2, information indicating the derived topdressing fertilizer application rate in association with the identification information for each of the 10 target fields. By referring to the display device 2, the user can recognize the topdressing fertilizer application rate derived by the crop-related value derivation device 1A for each of the 10 target fields, which can be used as a reference when determining the actual fertilizer application rate to be supplied during topdressing.

[0078] As described above, the crop-related value derivation device 1A according to the present embodiment acquires the NDVI value over the target field (the first actual value obtained by remote observation of the field), and corrects the NDVI value based on the altitude (situation) when shooting (remote observation) from a drone (a flying object with variable altitude) over the target field, so that it becomes the value when shooting is performed in the situation where the altitude is 30 meters (a predetermined situation), and derives a corrected NDVI value (corrected value). Then, the crop-related value derivation device 1A inputs the corrected NDVI value into a fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula that takes the NDVI index value when shooting is performed at an altitude of 30 meters (when observation is performed in a predetermined situation) as an input and outputs the fertilizer application rate at the time of topdressing, thereby deriving the fertilizer application rate at the time of topdressing for the target field.

[0079] According to this configuration, when deriving the fertilizer application rate at the time of topdressing, instead of directly inputting the NDVI value over the target field into the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula, the corrected NDVI value corrected to be the value when shooting is performed at an altitude of 30 meters is input. Therefore, while the accuracy of the NDVI value over the target field changes according to the altitude of the drone when the observation is performed, the actual value derived based on the shooting performed at a high altitude (a situation where the obtained NDVI accuracy is low) is corrected to be the value when the observation is performed at a low altitude (a situation where the obtained NDVI accuracy is high), and the corrected NDVI value generated by the correction can be input into the fertilizer application rate derivation calculation formula. As a result, it is possible to derive the fertilizer application rate while suppressing a decrease in accuracy caused by changes in the level of accuracy of the actual value according to the situation at the time of shooting.

[0080] Here, for all the fields, if low-altitude photography is performed to generate low-altitude data and the low-altitude NDVI value is derived based on the low-altitude data, the adverse effect caused by the decrease in the accuracy of the index value of NDVI due to the high altitude during photography can be suppressed. However, in this case, for each of all the fields (in the above embodiment, there were 10, but of course, there may be more than 10), it is necessary to perform photography at a predetermined low-altitude position, which complicates the work and lengthens the time required for the work. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, it is only necessary to perform low-altitude photography for a limited number (3 in this embodiment) of fields, and while suppressing the complication of the work and the lengthening of the time required for the work, it is possible to suppress the adverse effect caused by the decrease in the accuracy of the index value of NDVI due to the high altitude during photography.

[0081] Next, the operation of the crop-related value derivation device 1A according to the present embodiment (particularly, the operation when an information provision instruction is given) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9. In the following description, the crop-related value derivation device 1A is assumed to determine the fertilization amount during topdressing for N (where N≧2) target fields, and among the N target fields, M (where M<N) are correction fields.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 9, in step SB1, when the first actual value acquisition unit 10A detects that there is an information provision instruction to the input device 3, it acquires aerial data and acquires the aerial NDVI value for each of the N target fields. Also in step SB1, when the second actual value acquisition unit 20 detects that there is an information provision instruction to the input device 3, it acquires the low-altitude NDVI value for each of the M correction fields. Each of the aerial NDVI values acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit 10A in step SB1 and each of the low-altitude NDVI values acquired by the second actual value acquisition unit 20 are output to the correction unit 11A.

[0083] When the correction unit 11A receives the NDVI values of the upper air of each of the N target fields from the first actual value acquisition unit 10A and the NDVI values of the lower air of each of the M correction fields from the second actual value acquisition unit 20, it executes a correction formula generation process to generate a correction formula (step SB2). Next, the correction unit 11A uses the correction formula to derive a corrected NDVI value for each of the target fields (step SB3). The corrected NDVI value for each target field derived in step SB3 is output to the crop-related value derivation unit 12A. When the crop-related value derivation unit 12A receives the corrected NDVI value for each of the target fields from the correction unit 11A, it inputs the corrected NDVI value into the fertilization amount derivation formula for each of the target fields and derives the fertilization amount obtained as the output value as the final fertilization amount at the topdressing time (step SB4). Then, the crop-related value derivation unit 12A displays information indicating the fertilization amount at the topdressing time derived in step SB4 (step SB5).

[0084] <Modification Example of the Second Embodiment> Next, a modification example of the second embodiment will be described. In the above second embodiment, the configuration is such that the fertilization amount at the topdressing time is derived in consideration of the influence of the altitude of the drone at the time of shooting. Naturally, in addition to the altitude of the drone, a configuration in which the fertilization amount is derived in consideration of the solar radiation amount may also be used. In this case, the crop-related value derivation device 1A executes the following processing.

[0085] That is, based on the NDVI value in the upper air acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit 10A, the correction unit 11A derives the "index value of NDVI when shooting is performed at an altitude of 30 meters (predetermined altitude) for each target field" (corresponding to the corrected NDVI value in the second embodiment) by the method described in the second embodiment. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the NDVI derived here is defined as the intermediate NDVI value. Further, the correction unit 11A corrects the intermediate NDVI value based on the solar radiation level at the time of shooting so that it becomes the value when observation is performed at a predetermined solar radiation level (a level corresponding to the medium level in the first embodiment) or a predetermined solar radiation amount, and derives the corrected NDVI value. The fertilization amount derivation calculation formula is a calculation formula that takes the index value of NDVI when observation is performed at a predetermined solar radiation level or a predetermined solar radiation amount at an altitude of 30 meters (predetermined altitude) as the input and outputs the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing. Then, the agricultural crop-related value derivation unit 12A derives the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing the field by inputting the corrected NDVI value derived by the correction unit 11A into the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula. In addition, in this configuration, as described in the modification example of the first embodiment, the elements of the natural environment may be elements other than the solar radiation amount (or a combination of a plurality of elements).

[0086] Also, in the second embodiment, the rule for selecting the correction field among the target fields is not limited to those exemplified in the second embodiment. For example, the correction field may be selected based on elements other than the growth amount. However, the fewer the number of correction fields, the shorter the time required for the work. However, since the number of samples when generating the correction calculation formula is small, the accuracy of the correction calculation formula is low. Conversely, the more the number of correction fields, the higher the accuracy of the correction calculation formula, while the time required for the work becomes longer. The number of correction fields needs to be determined in consideration of this fact.

[0087] Also, in the second embodiment, the method of correcting the aerial NDVI value with the low-altitude NDVI value is not limited to the method exemplified in the above embodiment. That is, any method may be used as long as the accuracy of the aerial NDVI value is improved by reflecting the low-altitude NDVI value in the value of the aerial NDVI value. As an example, the crop-related value derivation unit 12A analyzes the correlation between the aerial NDVI value and the low-altitude NDVI value of the correction field, and derives an addition value or a subtraction value for bringing the aerial NDVI value closer to the low-altitude NDVI value as a fixed value, and adds the addition value or subtracts the subtraction value to the aerial NDVI value of the field to be corrected to obtain a corrected NDVI value.

[0088] Also, in the second embodiment, for the three (M) correction fields, the crop-related value derivation device 1A input the low-altitude NDVI values of the three correction fields directly into the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula as the corrected NDVI values, and derived the fertilization amount obtained as the output value as the final topdressing fertilization amount. In this regard, for the three correction fields, a configuration may also be adopted in which the corrected NDVI value is obtained from the aerial NDVI value using the correction calculation formula, the corrected NDVI value is input into the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula, and the output value of the calculation formula is derived as the final topdressing fertilization amount.

[0089] As described above, an embodiment (including a modified example) of the present invention has been described. However, each of the above embodiments merely shows an example of concretization in implementing the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner thereby. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or its main features.

[0090] For example, in each of the above embodiments, the fertilization amount (crop-related value) at the time of topdressing was derived for each field. Needless to say, a configuration other than the configuration of deriving the crop-related value for each field may be used. For example, one field may be divided into a plurality of regions, and the fertilization amount (crop-related value) at the time of topdressing may be derived for each region.

[0091] For example, the following configuration may also be applicable to the first embodiment. That is, the correction unit 11 corrects the aerial NDVI value (the first actual value) obtained by the first actual value acquisition unit 10 to be a value when the observation is performed in two or more combinations of the sunlight situation, the temporal situation, the location situation, and the altitude of the flying object at the time of observation. Based on this, the correction unit 11 corrects the value so that it becomes a value when the observation is performed in two or more combinations corresponding to the combination of the situation at the time of observation among the predetermined sunlight situation, the predetermined temporal situation, the predetermined location situation, and the predetermined altitude, and derives a corrected NDVI value (corrected value). The crop-related value derivation unit 12 inputs the corrected value derived by the correction unit 11 into a calculation formula that takes the index value of NDVI (the first index) when the observation is performed in two or more combinations of the predetermined sunlight situation, the predetermined temporal situation, the predetermined location situation, and the predetermined altitude as an input and outputs the fertilization amount (crop-related value) at the time of topdressing. By doing so, the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing is derived.

[0092] Also, in the first embodiment, the crop-related value derivation device 1 derived the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing (the fertilization amount at a predetermined timing) for rice (crop) as the crop-related value. However, the crop is not limited to rice, and the crop-related value is not limited to the "fertilization amount at the time of topdressing". First, in the case of a configuration that derives the fertilization amount at the time of topdressing as the crop-related value, the present invention is widely applicable to crops for which topdressing is performed during cultivation. As an example, it is applicable to wheat, barley, soybeans, and other grains, as well as vegetables, fruits, and the like. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0093] The crop-related value is a value related to the crop cultivated in the crop cultivation area, and it may be any value that can be derived from the index value of the first index (not limited to NDVI, and may be the index values of multiple types of indexes).

[0094] For example, the agricultural product-related value may include the amount of compost, soil conditioner, plant growth regulator, or chemical agent (including various pesticides) supplied at a predetermined timing. The amount of compost supplied at a predetermined timing refers to the amount of compost that should be applied at a predetermined timing in order to make the state of agricultural products (including the harvest of agricultural products) for a predetermined category reach the target state. The same applies to the amounts of soil conditioner, plant growth regulator, or chemical agent supplied at a predetermined timing.

[0095] In this case, for example, when the agricultural product is rice and the agricultural product-related value is the amount of compost at a predetermined timing, the fertilizer application amount derivation calculation formula is a formula that inputs the NDVI index value at a predetermined measurement timing and outputs the amount of compost at a predetermined timing (hereinafter referred to as the "compost amount derivation calculation formula"). That is, the compost amount derivation calculation formula is a formula that calculates that if the NDVI index value at the measurement timing is ○○, the appropriate amount of compost at a predetermined timing is ○○. It is known that there is a correlation between the NDVI index value at the measurement timing and the amount of compost at a predetermined timing (the same applies to the amounts of soil conditioner, plant growth regulator, and chemical agent), and this compost amount derivation calculation formula is derived in advance based on the correlation between the NDVI index value at the measurement timing and the amount of compost at a predetermined timing.

[0096] Also, for example, the agricultural product-related value can be the yield of the harvest (meaning the predicted yield per unit area). In this case, the fertilizer application amount derivation calculation formula is a formula that inputs the NDVI index value at a predetermined timing before heading and outputs the yield of rice (hereinafter referred to as the "predicted yield derivation calculation formula"). That is, the predicted yield derivation calculation formula is a formula that calculates that if the NDVI index value at a predetermined timing before heading is ○○, the yield of rice is predicted to be ○○. From the research of the inventors, it is known that there is a particularly strong correlation between the NDVI index value at a predetermined timing before heading (not after heading) and the yield of rice, and this predicted yield derivation calculation formula is derived in advance based on the correlation between the NDVI index value at a predetermined timing before heading and the yield of rice.

[0097] In addition, the crop-related value can be the current or future quality of the crop (a concept including not only the appearance quality but also the component and internal quality such as the state of a predetermined nutrient (e.g., protein content) and the moisture content situation). The current or future quality of the crop is, for example, when the crop is rice, the current or future paddy moisture, the current or future brown rice moisture, and the current or future protein content of the brown rice. For example, the current or future quality of the crop is, when the crop is rice, the proportion of harvested products with low appearance quality (or the proportion of whole grains) at the time of harvest.

[0098] In addition, the crop-related value can be "the time when the crop is predicted to reach a predetermined state". "The time when the crop is predicted to reach a predetermined state" is, for example, the time when the crop can be harvested or, when the crop is rice, the heading time. For example, when the crop is rice and the crop-related value is "harvest time" (the appropriate time to harvest rice), the fertilization amount derivation calculation formula is a formula that inputs the index value of NDVI at the measurement timing and outputs the harvest time. It is known that there is a correlation between the index value of NDVI and the harvest time, and the predetermined calculation formula is generated in advance based on the correlation between the index value of NDVI and the harvest time.

[0099] In addition, the crop-related value can be "the damage situation of the crop". "The damage situation of the crop" is, for example, the lodging situation (degree), the drought damage situation (degree), the disease situation (degree), the damage situation (degree) by pests, etc.

[0100] In addition, the crop-related value can be "the state of the environment affecting the crop". "The state of the environment affecting the crop" is, for example, the degree of occurrence of pests and diseases in the field, the degree of occurrence of weeds in the field, etc.

[0101] In addition, the memory units 13 and 13A may have a configuration of an external memory device different from the crop-related value derivation device 1. Further, the crop-related value derivation devices 1 and 1A may be configured as servers on the Internet. When there is a request for providing information indicating the fertilization amount at topdressing from a client via the Internet, the fertilization amount at topdressing may be derived by the above-described method and provided to the client. Also, the crop-related value derivation devices 1 and 1A do not necessarily have to be a single computer and may be configured by a plurality of computers. For example, a configuration may be such that a terminal connected via the Internet and a cloud server cooperate to function as the crop-related value derivation devices 1 and 1A, and the terminal appropriately executes processing in cooperation with the cloud server.

[0102] Also, in the first embodiment, the value of NDVI obtained by sensing from above using a drone was the index value of the first index. In this regard, the index value of the first index is not limited to the value of NDVI and may be the index value of another index other than NDVI. Also, the index value of the first index may be a value derived based on satellite data obtained by observation from a satellite, or a value derived using at least data obtained by sensing from above using a drone and the satellite data.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0103] 1, 1A Crop-related value derivation device 10, 10A First actual value acquisition unit 11, 11A Correction unit 12, 12A Crop-related value derivation unit 20 Second actual value acquisition unit

Claims

1. A crop-related value derivation device for deriving a crop-related value related to a crop cultivated in a crop cultivation area, comprising: a first actual value acquisition unit that acquires a first actual value, which is an actual value of an index value of a first index obtained by remote observation of an area that constitutes the crop cultivation area; a correction unit that derives a correction value by correcting the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a situation when the area is remotely observed so that the first actual value becomes a value that would be obtained if the observation were performed under a predetermined specified situation; and a crop-related value derivation unit that derives the crop-related value by inputting a correction value derived by the correction unit into a first calculation formula that takes an index value of a first index as an input and outputs the crop-related value, the first calculation formula being adjusted so as to output the crop-related value that is an appropriate value for bringing the state of the crop for a specified category into a target state when an index value of the first index obtained by observation performed under the specified circumstances is input; The situation when the remote observation of the area is performed is the situation of the target area, the specifications of the observation equipment, the time and time of the observation, and the situation of the elements of the natural environment that cause a change in the index value of the observed first index when the observation location is the same; the correction unit derives a correction value by correcting the first actual value based on a state of an element of the natural environment when the area is remotely observed, so as to become a value when the observation is performed when the state of the element of the natural environment is a predetermined state; The crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which takes as input an index value of a first index when observation is performed when a state of an element of the natural environment is the predetermined state and outputs the crop-related value. A crop-related value deriving device comprising:

2. the correction unit corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on sunlight conditions when the remote observation of the area is performed, so as to obtain a corrected value that corresponds to a value when the observation is performed under predetermined sunlight conditions; and The crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which inputs the index value of a first index when observation is performed under the specified sunlight conditions and outputs the crop-related value.

2. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 1 .

3. A second formula is derived in advance for each possible sunlight condition, the second formula converting an index value of the first index when the observation is made in each sunlight condition into an index value of the first index when the observation is made in the predetermined sunlight condition; The correction unit derives a correction value by using the second calculation formula.

3. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 2.

4. The sunlight conditions are one or a combination of two or more of the following: total solar radiation, the amount of scattered light or its ratio, the amount of direct light or its ratio, or the solar altitude.

4. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. A crop-related value derivation device for deriving a crop-related value related to a crop cultivated in a crop cultivation area, comprising: a first actual value acquisition unit that acquires a first actual value, which is an actual value of an index value of a first index obtained by remote observation of an area that constitutes the crop cultivation area; a correction unit that derives a correction value by correcting the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a situation when the area is remotely observed so that the first actual value becomes a value that would be obtained if the observation were performed under a predetermined specified situation; and a crop-related value derivation unit that derives the crop-related value by inputting a correction value derived by the correction unit into a first calculation formula that takes an index value of a first index as an input and outputs the crop-related value, the first calculation formula being adjusted so as to output the crop-related value that is an appropriate value for bringing the state of the crop for a specified category into a target state when an index value of the first index obtained by observation performed under the specified circumstances is input; the correction unit corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a temporal situation when the remote observation of the area is performed so that the first actual value becomes a value when the observation is performed under a predetermined temporal situation, and derives a correction value; The crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which inputs the index value of a first index when observation is performed under the specified temporal circumstances and outputs the crop-related value. A crop-related value deriving device comprising:

6. A second calculation formula is derived in advance for each possible temporal situation, the second calculation formula converting an index value of the first index when the observation is performed in each temporal situation into an index value of the first index when the observation is performed in the predetermined temporal situation; The correction unit derives a correction value by using the second calculation formula.

6. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 5.

7. Temporal context refers to the time period in which the observation was made or the time period in which the observation was made.

7. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 5 or 6.

8. A crop-related value derivation device for deriving a crop-related value related to a crop cultivated in a crop cultivation area, comprising: a first actual value acquisition unit that acquires a first actual value, which is an actual value of an index value of a first index obtained by remote observation of an area that constitutes the crop cultivation area; a correction unit that derives a correction value by correcting the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a situation when the area is remotely observed so that the first actual value becomes a value that would be obtained if the observation were performed under a predetermined specified situation; and a crop-related value derivation unit that derives the crop-related value by inputting a correction value derived by the correction unit into a first calculation formula that takes an index value of a first index as an input and outputs the crop-related value, the first calculation formula being adjusted so as to output the crop-related value that is an appropriate value for bringing the state of the crop for a specified category into a target state when an index value of the first index obtained by observation performed under the specified circumstances is input; the correction unit corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a locational situation when the remote observation of the area is performed so that the locational situation becomes a value when the observation is performed under a predetermined locational situation, and derives a correction value; the crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which inputs the index value of a first index when observation is performed in the specified spatial situation and outputs the crop-related value; The locational situation is latitude A crop-related value deriving device comprising:

9. A crop-related value derivation device for deriving a crop-related value related to a crop cultivated in a crop cultivation area, comprising: a first actual value acquisition unit that acquires a first actual value, which is an actual value of an index value of a first index obtained by remote observation of an area that constitutes the crop cultivation area; a correction unit that derives a correction value by correcting the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a situation when the area is remotely observed so that the first actual value becomes a value that would be obtained if the observation were performed under a predetermined specified situation; and a crop-related value derivation unit that derives the crop-related value by inputting a correction value derived by the correction unit into a first calculation formula that takes an index value of a first index as an input and outputs the crop-related value, the first calculation formula being adjusted so as to output the crop-related value that is an appropriate value for bringing the state of the crop for a specified category into a target state when an index value of the first index obtained by observation performed under the specified circumstances is input; the first actual value is a value obtained by observation from an aircraft capable of changing its altitude; the correction unit corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on two or more combinations of sunlight conditions, time conditions, location conditions, and the altitude of the flying object when the observation was made, so that the first actual value becomes a value when the observation was made under two or more combinations of predetermined sunlight conditions, predetermined time conditions, predetermined location conditions, and a predetermined altitude that correspond to the combination of conditions when the observation was made, and derives a corrected value; The crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which inputs an index value of a first index when observation is performed under two or more combinations of predetermined sunlight conditions, predetermined time conditions, predetermined location conditions, and a predetermined altitude, and outputs the crop-related value. A crop-related value deriving device comprising:

10. The crop-related value is a fertilizer amount at the time of top dressing, The agricultural crop-related value derivation unit derives the amount of fertilizer to be applied at the time of top-dressing by using, as the first calculation formula, a calculation formula based on a multiple regression formula obtained by performing a multiple regression analysis on the relationship between the state of the agricultural crop and a combination of the accumulated past actual amount of fertilizer to be applied at the time of top-dressing and the index value of the first index when observation was performed under the specified situation at the time of top-dressing, with the state of the agricultural crop as a response variable and the amount of fertilizer to be applied at the time of top-dressing and the index value of the first index as explanatory variables.

10. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 1 ,

11. The agricultural crop-related value derivation unit derives, as the agricultural crop-related value, at least one of the amount of fertilizer, compost, soil improvement material, plant growth regulator or drug to be supplied at a predetermined timing, the yield of the harvested product, the current or future quality of the agricultural crop, the time when the agricultural crop is predicted to reach a predetermined state, the state of damage to the agricultural crop, and the state of the environment that affects the agricultural crop.

10. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 1 ,

12. The index value of the first index is a value of a predetermined index obtained by sensing from the sky using an aircraft.

9. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 1, wherein the crop-related value deriving device comprises:

13. The index value of the first index is the value of NDVI obtained by sensing from the sky using an aircraft.

13. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 12.

14. The index value of the first index is a value derived based on satellite data obtained by observation from a satellite, or a value derived by using at least the satellite data and data obtained by sensing from the sky using an aircraft.

9. The crop-related value deriving device according to claim 1, wherein the crop-related value deriving device comprises:

15. A crop-related value deriving method by a crop-related value deriving device that derives a crop-related value related to a crop cultivated in a crop cultivation area, comprising: A first step in which a first actual value acquisition unit of the agricultural crop-related value deriving device acquires a first actual value, which is an actual value of an index value of a first index obtained by remote observation of an area constituting the agricultural crop cultivation area; a second step in which a correction unit of the agricultural crop-related value deriving device corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a situation when the remote observation of the area is performed, so as to become a value that would be obtained if the observation were performed under a predetermined specified situation, thereby deriving a corrected value; a third step in which the crop-related value derivation unit of the crop-related value derivation device derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into a first calculation formula that takes an index value of a first index as an input and outputs the crop-related value, the first calculation formula being adjusted so as to output the crop-related value of an appropriate value for bringing the state of the crop for a specified category into a target state when an index value of a first index obtained by observation performed under the specified circumstances is input; The situation when the remote observation of the area is performed is the situation of the target area, the specifications of the observation equipment, the time and time of the observation, and the situation of the elements of the natural environment that cause a change in the index value of the observed first index when the observation location is the same; In the second step, the correction unit derives a correction value by correcting the first actual value based on a state of the element of the natural environment when the area is remotely observed, so that the first actual value becomes a value when the observation is performed when the state of the element of the natural environment is a predetermined state; In the third step, the crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which inputs an index value of a first index when observation is performed when a state of an element of the natural environment is the predetermined state and outputs the crop-related value. A method for deriving crop-related values ​​comprising:

16. A crop-related value deriving method by a crop-related value deriving device that derives a crop-related value related to a crop cultivated in a crop cultivation area, comprising: A first step in which a first actual value acquisition unit of the agricultural crop-related value deriving device acquires a first actual value, which is an actual value of an index value of a first index obtained by remote observation of an area constituting the agricultural crop cultivation area; a second step in which a correction unit of the agricultural crop-related value deriving device corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a situation when the remote observation of the area is performed, so as to become a value that would be obtained if the observation were performed under a predetermined specified situation, thereby deriving a corrected value; a third step in which the crop-related value derivation unit of the crop-related value derivation device derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into a first calculation formula that takes an index value of a first index as an input and outputs the crop-related value, the first calculation formula being adjusted so as to output the crop-related value of an appropriate value for bringing the state of the crop for a specified category into a target state when an index value of a first index obtained by observation performed under the specified circumstances is input; In the second step, the correction unit corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a temporal situation when the remote observation of the area is performed so that the first actual value becomes a value when the observation is performed under a predetermined temporal situation, thereby deriving a correction value; In the third step, the crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which inputs the index value of the first index when the observation is performed in the specified temporal situation and outputs the crop-related value. A method for deriving crop-related values ​​comprising:

17. A crop-related value deriving method by a crop-related value deriving device that derives a crop-related value related to a crop cultivated in a crop cultivation area, comprising: A first step in which a first actual value acquisition unit of the agricultural crop-related value deriving device acquires a first actual value, which is an actual value of an index value of a first index obtained by remote observation of an area constituting the agricultural crop cultivation area; a second step in which a correction unit of the agricultural crop-related value deriving device corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a situation when the remote observation of the area is performed, so as to become a value that would be obtained if the observation were performed under a predetermined specified situation, thereby deriving a corrected value; a third step in which the crop-related value derivation unit of the crop-related value derivation device derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into a first calculation formula that takes an index value of a first index as an input and outputs the crop-related value, the first calculation formula being adjusted so as to output the crop-related value of an appropriate value for bringing the state of the crop for a specified category into a target state when an index value of a first index obtained by observation performed under the specified circumstances is input; In the second step, the correction unit corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a locational situation when the remote observation of the area is performed so that the locational situation becomes a value when the observation is performed under a predetermined locational situation, thereby deriving a correction value; In the third step, the crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which inputs the index value of a first index when observation is performed in the specified spatial situation and outputs the crop-related value; The locational situation is latitude A method for deriving crop-related values ​​comprising:

18. A crop-related value deriving method by a crop-related value deriving device that derives a crop-related value related to a crop cultivated in a crop cultivation area, comprising: A first step in which a first actual value acquisition unit of the agricultural crop-related value deriving device acquires a first actual value, which is an actual value of an index value of a first index obtained by remote observation of an area constituting the agricultural crop cultivation area; a second step in which a correction unit of the agricultural crop-related value deriving device corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on a situation when the remote observation of the area is performed, so as to become a value that would be obtained if the observation were performed under a predetermined specified situation, thereby deriving a corrected value; a third step in which the crop-related value derivation unit of the crop-related value derivation device derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into a first calculation formula that takes an index value of a first index as an input and outputs the crop-related value, the first calculation formula being adjusted so as to output the crop-related value of an appropriate value for bringing the state of the crop for a specified category into a target state when an index value of a first index obtained by observation performed under the specified circumstances is input; the first actual value is a value obtained by observation from an aircraft capable of changing its altitude; In the second step, the correction unit corrects the first actual value acquired by the first actual value acquisition unit based on two or more combinations of sunlight conditions, time conditions, location conditions, and the altitude of the flying object when the observation was performed, so as to become a value when the observation was performed under two or more combinations of predetermined sunlight conditions, predetermined time conditions, predetermined location conditions, and a predetermined altitude corresponding to the combination of conditions when the observation was performed, to derive a correction value; In the third step, the crop-related value derivation unit derives the crop-related value by inputting the correction value derived by the correction unit into the first calculation formula, which inputs an index value of a first index when observation is performed under two or more combinations of predetermined sunlight conditions, predetermined time conditions, predetermined location conditions, and a predetermined altitude, and outputs the crop-related value. A method for deriving crop-related values ​​comprising:

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