Agricultural support methods and programs

Abstract

Outputs information on the inflorescences to be removed. [Solution] An agricultural support method in which a computer executes the following process: acquires temperature information for the cultivation environment of a crop in which inflorescences grow, and information on the first flowering date of a specific inflorescence; identifies a reference date that is a first number of days before the first flowering date of the specific inflorescence; calculates the average temperature for a second number of days after the reference date based on the acquired temperature information; and, if the calculated average temperature value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, targets the specific inflorescence for pruning, and outputs information about the inflorescence to be pruned.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural support method and an agricultural support program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in strawberry cultivation, flower thinning and fruit thinning are common tasks. Strawberries can be cultivated in two ways: forced cultivation, which is done from autumn to spring, and summer-autumn harvesting, which is done from spring to early winter. In the case of summer-autumn harvesting in particular, the flowering and harvesting periods overlap with the high temperatures of summer, so in the case of summer-autumn harvesting, abnormally high temperatures such as those seen in recent years inhibit the growth of flower buds, resulting in many fruits that are too small to be shipped (undersized fruits).

[0003] Early thinning of flowers or fruits that are expected to become undersized is thought to help the plant grow and lead to an increase in the subsequent yield. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for thinning fruits that do not fall within the range of the predicted yield based on data on the predicted yield of the plant and the weight of the fruit of the plant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-039465 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, picking small flowers and fruits one by one takes time and effort. Also, if a single flower cluster (fruit cluster) cannot produce a single fruit that meets the standards for shipping, it is more efficient to pick the entire flower cluster (fruit cluster).

[0006] The present invention has been made under these circumstances, and aims to provide an agricultural support method and an agricultural support program that are capable of outputting information on inflorescences that should be pruned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first agricultural support method of the present invention is to acquire information on the temperature of a cultivation environment of a crop in which a flower cluster occurs and information on the first flowering date of a specific flower cluster, and Flower bud differentiation date calculated from accumulated temperature Based on the acquired temperature information, Flower bud differentiation date After specified and if the calculated average temperature value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, designates the specific inflorescence as a target for pruning, and outputs information about the inflorescence as a target for pruning.

[0008] The second agricultural support method of the present invention acquires information on the temperature of the cultivation environment of the agricultural crops in which the inflorescences are produced, and Flower bud differentiation date calculated from accumulated temperature Based on the acquired temperature information, Flower bud differentiation days after specified This is an agricultural support method in which a computer executes a process to calculate the average temperature over a number of days, and if the calculated average temperature value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, output indicating that the inflorescence whose first flower bloomed on the specified day is the inflorescence to be pruned. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The agricultural support method and agricultural support program of the present invention have the effect of being able to output information on inflorescences that should be pruned. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an agricultural support system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the cluster-picking determination server, flowering detection server, and environmental information management server, and FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the user terminal. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the bunch pruning determination server. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the data structure of the determination result DB. [Figure 5] Figure 5(a) is a graph showing the results of an investigation into the relationship between the average temperature over 30 days from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation and the weight of the first fruit (fruit weight) for a certain variety of strawberry, and Figure 5(b) is a graph showing the results of an investigation into the relationship between the average temperature from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation to the date of flowering and the weight of the first fruit (fruit weight) for the same variety of strawberry as in Figure 5(a). [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a table showing the correlation coefficient between the average temperature for a specified period from the estimated flower bud differentiation date and the weight of the first fruit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the bunch pruning determination server. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal. [Figure 9] 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams for explaining the results of Experimental Example 1. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the results of Experimental Example 2. In FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an outline of the cluster plucking determination in one embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of the bunch plucking determination server according to the second modification. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of the bunch plucking determination server according to the second modification. [Figure 14] 14(a) and 14(b) are diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on the user terminal in the second modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of the agricultural support system will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 1 to 11. Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an agricultural support system 100 according to one embodiment. The agricultural support system 100 of this embodiment is a system used by strawberry producers and the like (hereinafter referred to as users), and is a system that determines whether each inflorescence (fruit cluster) is a target for cluster pruning based on input from the user, and provides the user with the determination result.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the agricultural support system 100 comprises a bunch-picking determination server 10, a flowering detection server 12, an environmental information management server 14, and a user terminal 70. The servers 10, 12, and 14 and the user terminal 70 are connected via a network 80 such as the Internet, allowing information to be exchanged between the devices.

[0013] The bunch pruning determination server 10 determines which flower clusters (fruit clusters) on a strawberry plant should be pruned, and outputs the determination result to the user terminal 70. The bunch pruning determination server 10 cooperates with the flowering detection server 12 and the environmental information management server 14 to acquire necessary data from each of the servers 12, 14, and performs bunch pruning determination using the acquired data.

[0014] FIG. 2(a) shows a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration of the bunch picking determination server 10. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the bunch picking determination server 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 90, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 92, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 94, storage (e.g., a Solid State Drive (SSD) or a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)) 96, a network interface 97, and a portable storage medium drive 99. These components of the bunch picking determination server 10 are connected to a bus 98. In the bunch picking determination server 10, the CPU 90 executes programs (including agricultural support programs) stored in the ROM 92 or the HDD 96, or programs read from the portable storage medium 91 by the portable storage medium drive 99, thereby realizing the functions of the components shown in FIG. 3. The functions of the components shown in FIG. 3 may be realized by integrated circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The functions of the components shown in FIG. 3 will be described in detail later.

[0015] The flowering detection server 12 acquires images of strawberry plants in a farm field (e.g., in a greenhouse) taken at predetermined intervals, and detects the flowering date of the first flower of each inflorescence (fruit cluster) based on the acquired images. For example, the flowering detection server 12 detects flowering using a technique such as machine learning, and when flowering is detected, identifies the plant's identification number and the inflorescence and the flower number that has flowered. If the identified flower is the first flower, the flowering detection server 12 then transmits information indicating the flowering date and the inflorescence and the plant on which the first flower has flowered (hereinafter referred to as flowering inflorescence information) to the cluster pruning determination server 10. The flowering detection server 12 has the same hardware configuration as the cluster pruning determination server 10 (see FIG. 2(a)).

[0016] The environmental information management server 14 accumulates and manages past environmental data (temperature, etc.) of the field. Specifically, the environmental information management server 14 acquires and manages, for example, environmental data observed by sensors in the field (inside the greenhouse), weather data obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency's database, and mesh agricultural weather data from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization. In addition, in response to a request from the tassel-thinning determination server 10, the environmental information management server 14 provides the tassel-thinning determination server 10 with past environmental information of the field, as well as predicted values ​​and average values ​​for future environmental information. The environmental information management server 14 has the same hardware configuration as the tassel-thinning determination server 10 and the flowering detection server 12 (see FIG. 2(a)).

[0017] The user terminal 70 is a terminal such as a smartphone or a PC (Personal Computer) used by a strawberry producer or the like (user). The user terminal 70 acquires and displays the determination results from the bunch-picking determination server 10.

[0018] Here, the user terminal 70 has, as an example, a hardware configuration as shown in Fig. 2(b). As shown in Fig. 2(b), the user terminal 70 includes a CPU 190, a ROM 192, a RAM 194, a storage 196, a network interface 197, a display unit 193, an input unit 195, and a portable storage medium drive 199 capable of reading data stored in a portable storage medium 191. The display unit 193 includes a liquid crystal display or the like, and the input unit 195 includes a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. These components of the user terminal 70 are connected to a bus 198.

[0019] (Details of the bunch plucking determination server 10) Fig. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the tassel-picking determination server 10. In the tassel-picking determination server 10, the CPU 90 executes a program to realize the functions shown in Fig. 3. Specifically, the tassel-picking determination server 10 has a flowering information acquisition unit 30, a flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32, an average temperature calculation unit 34, a tassel-picking determination unit 36, an output unit 38, and a period-of-interest / threshold value specification unit 20. Fig. 3 also shows a determination result DB 40 stored in the storage 96 or the like.

[0020] The flowering information acquisition unit 30 acquires flowering inflorescence information (information indicating which inflorescence of which plant has bloomed) transmitted from the flowering detection server 12. The flowering information acquisition unit 30 transmits the acquired information to the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32.

[0021] The flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 accumulates the average temperature for each day going back from the anthesis date (calculating the accumulated temperature). When calculating the accumulated temperature, the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 acquires temperature information from the environmental information management server 14. The flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 then identifies the day on which the calculated accumulated temperature reaches a predetermined temperature (e.g., 1000°C) and estimates the previous day (the day after the date on which the predetermined temperature is reached) as the flower bud differentiation date (reference date). In other words, the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 estimates the day immediately before the accumulated temperature going back from the anthesis date reaches the predetermined temperature as the flower bud differentiation date. For example, if the anthesis date is June 22 and the day on which the accumulated temperature going back from the anthesis date reaches the predetermined temperature is April 26, the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 estimates the estimated flower bud differentiation date as April 27. The technology for estimating the flower bud differentiation date to be the day immediately before the accumulated temperature reaches a predetermined temperature (for example, 1000°C) is disclosed in "Kumakura Hirofumi, Shishido Yoshihiro, 1995, 'Effects of Temperature and Day Length on Flower Bud Differentiation in Everbearing Strawberry Varieties', Horticultural Science Journal, 64; 85-94." The flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 transmits information on the estimated flower bud differentiation date and information on the bloomed inflorescence to the average temperature calculation unit 34.

[0022] The average temperature calculation unit 34 calculates the average temperature for a second number of days (details will be described later) based on the flower bud differentiation date estimated by the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32. When calculating the average temperature, the average temperature calculation unit 34 acquires information on the temperature of the field from the environmental information management server 14. The average temperature calculation unit 34 transmits the calculated average temperature to the tassel pruning determination unit 36, together with the flowering inflorescence information and the estimated flower bud differentiation date.

[0023] When the average temperature calculated by the average temperature calculation unit 34 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the bunch pruning determination unit 36 ​​determines that the weight of the first fruit of the bunch (fruit bunch) of the plant indicated in the bloomed bunch information does not reach the shipping standard. When the weight of the first fruit does not reach the shipping standard, it is highly likely that the subsequent fruits (second fruit, third fruit, ...) will not reach the shipping standard either, so the bunch pruning determination unit 36 ​​determines that the bunch (fruit bunch) should be pruned. The determination result of the bunch pruning determination unit 36 ​​is stored in the determination result DB 40.

[0024] The determination result DB40 has a data structure as shown in Fig. 4. Specifically, the determination result DB40 has the following items: plant number, inflorescence number, flowering date, estimated flower bud differentiation date, average temperature, and pruning. Note that Fig. 4 only shows the data for plant number = 1, but the data for plant numbers = 2, 3, ... are shown overlapping below (behind) the data for plant number = 1. In the example of Fig. 4, for inflorescences where the calculated average temperature was 28°C or higher, information indicating that the inflorescences are to be pruned is stored (see "Pruning" in the "Pruning" column).

[0025] In response to a request from the user or at a predetermined timing, the output unit 38 outputs the information stored in the determination result DB 40 to the user terminal 70. The user terminal 70 displays the determination result information as shown in FIG. 4 on the display unit 193.

[0026] The period of interest and threshold value specifying unit 20 specifies the second number of days (period of interest) used by the average temperature calculation unit 34, and also specifies the predetermined value (threshold value of the average temperature) used by the tassel plucking determination unit 36.

[0027] Here, Figure 5(a) is a graph showing the results of an investigation into the relationship between the average temperature for 30 days from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation of the first flower and the weight of the first fruit (fruit weight) for a certain variety of strawberry. Figure 5(b) is a graph showing the results of an investigation into the relationship between the average temperature from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation of the first flower to the date of flowering and the weight of the first fruit (fruit weight) for the same variety of strawberry as Figure 5(a). Figure 6 is a table showing the correlation coefficients for the relationship between the average temperature for a specified period from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation and the weight of the first fruit.

[0028] For example, the approximate equation for each point plotted in FIG. 5(a) is expressed by the following equation (1), where the vertical axis is the y-axis and the horizontal axis is the x-axis. y=(8.23×10 4 )x -2.85 …(1) Assume that the correlation coefficient of the approximation formula (1) above is −0.74, as shown in FIG.

[0029] Furthermore, the approximation formula for each point plotted in FIG. 5(b) is expressed by the following formula (2), where the vertical axis is the y-axis and the horizontal axis is the x-axis. y=(1.41×10 6 )x -3.72 …(2)

[0030] Then, assume that the correlation coefficient of the approximation formula (2) above is −0.80, as shown in FIG.

[0031] In addition, approximate equations were also calculated for the relationship between the average temperature for 20 days from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation and the weight of the first fruit (fruit weight), and the relationship between the average temperature for 10 days from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation and the weight of the first fruit (fruit weight), and the correlation coefficients were found to be -0.66 and -0.61, as shown in Figure 6.

[0032] When the results of Figure 6 are obtained, the target period / threshold value determination unit 20 adopts the graph with the largest absolute value of the correlation coefficient (the relationship between the average temperature from the estimated flower bud differentiation date to the flowering date and the weight of the first fruit (fruit weight)), and determines the "number of days from the estimated flower bud differentiation date to the flowering date" as the target period (second number of days).

[0033] Furthermore, the target period / threshold value specifying unit 20 uses equation (2) showing the relationship between the average temperature from the estimated flower bud differentiation date to the flowering date and the weight (fruit weight) of the first fruit (Fig. 5(b)) to specify the average temperature at which the first fruit is equal to or exceeds the harvest standard (for example, 6g) as the threshold value. In the case of Fig. 5(b), the average temperature corresponding to the first fruit weight = 6g is approximately 28°C, so 28°C is specified as the threshold value.

[0034] In FIG. 6, assume that the absolute value of the correlation coefficient between the average temperature for 30 days from the estimated flower bud differentiation date and the weight of the first fruit (fruit weight) is the largest. In this case, the period of interest / threshold value specifying unit 20 specifies "30 days" as the period of interest (second number of days). Furthermore, based on FIG. 5(a) and equation (1), the period of interest / threshold value specifying unit 20 specifies the average temperature (28°C) at which the first fruit reaches or exceeds the harvest standard (e.g., 6g) as the threshold value.

[0035] Since the period of interest (second number of days) and threshold value differ depending on the variety, it is preferable to prepare graphs such as those shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b) for each variety and specify the period of interest (second number of days) and threshold value in the same manner as above.

[0036] (Regarding the processing of the bunch pruning determination server 10) Next, the processing of the tassel pinching determination server 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 7. As a premise for the processing in Fig. 7, it is assumed that the flowering detection server 12 sequentially processes images taken in the field and detects when, on which plant, and in which inflorescence the first flower bloomed. Then, when flowering detection server 12 detects flowering, it transmits bloomed inflorescence information (information indicating the flowering date and the number of the inflorescence on which which plant the first flower bloomed) to the tassel pinching determination server 10.

[0037] 7 starts, first, in step S10, the flowering information acquisition unit 30 determines whether or not flowering inflorescence information has been transmitted from the flowering detection server 12. If the determination in step S10 is negative, then in step S12, the output unit 38 determines whether or not to output the determination result. In step S12, the determination is positive when there is an output request from the user terminal 70 or when a predetermined timing has arrived, but if the determination is negative, the process returns to step S10.

[0038] Thereafter, the determinations in steps S10 and S12 are repeated, and when the determination in step S10 is affirmative (when blooming inflorescence information is transmitted from the blooming detection server 12), for example, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0039] In step S13 , the flowering information acquisition unit 30 acquires the transmitted flowering inflorescence information and transmits it to the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 .

[0040] Next, in step S14, the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 communicates with the environmental information management server 14 to obtain the average daily temperature of the field for a predetermined period prior to the flowering date of the first flower (for example, the period from the planting date to the flowering date).

[0041] Next, in step S16, the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 calculates the accumulated temperature going back one day from the flowering date of the first flower and estimates the flower bud differentiation date. Specifically, the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 calculates the accumulated temperature going back one day from the flowering date of the first flower, and estimates the day immediately before the calculated accumulated temperature reaches a predetermined temperature (e.g., 1000°C) as the flower bud differentiation date. The estimated flower bud differentiation date (estimated flower bud differentiation date) can be said to be a reference date that is the first number of days before the flowering date of the first flower. The flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 transmits the estimated flower bud differentiation date and flowering inflorescence information to the average temperature calculation unit 34.

[0042] Next, in step S18, the average temperature calculation unit 34 calculates the average temperature for a period of interest (second number of days) based on the flower bud differentiation date. When calculating the average temperature, the average temperature calculation unit 34 obtains the temperature of the field for each day from the environmental information management server 14. If the period of interest (second number of days) identified by the period of interest / threshold value identification unit 20 is the period from the estimated flower bud differentiation date to the flowering date, the average temperature calculation unit 34 calculates the average daily average temperature for that period. The flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 transmits the calculated average temperature, flower bud differentiation date, and flowering inflorescence information to the tassel pruning determination unit 36.

[0043] Next, in step S20, the tuft picking determination unit 36 ​​determines whether the average temperature calculated in step S18 is equal to or higher than the threshold value specified by the period-of-interest / threshold value specification unit 20 (average temperature≧threshold value). In the example of FIG. 5(b), the threshold value is 28°C.

[0044] If the determination in step S20 is affirmative, i.e., if the average temperature is 28°C or higher, the process proceeds to step S22, where the tassel pruning determination unit 36 ​​determines that the tassels included in the bloomed tassel information are to be pruned. After that, the process proceeds to step S26, where the tassel pruning determination unit 36 ​​stores information such as the determination result in the determination result DB 40.

[0045] On the other hand, if the determination in step S20 is negative, the tassel pruning determination unit 36 ​​proceeds to step S24 and determines that the tassel included in the bloomed tassel information is not a target for tassel pruning. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S26, and the tassel pruning determination unit 36 ​​stores information such as the determination result in the determination result DB 40.

[0046] After the process of step S26 is performed, the process returns to step S10. Then, from this point on, the processes and determinations of steps S13 to S26 are repeated every time the determination of step S10 is affirmative. That is, every time the cluster pruning determination server 10 acquires information on the flowering date of the cluster where the first flower has bloomed, it determines whether or not the cluster is a cluster pruning target, and repeats the process of storing the determination result in the determination result DB 40.

[0047] On the other hand, if the determination in step S12 is affirmative as a result of repeating the determinations in steps S10 and S12, the process proceeds to step S28, and the output unit 38 outputs the information stored in the determination result DB 40 to the user terminal 70. In this case, for example, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display unit 193 of the user terminal 70. The screen in FIG. 8 displays information on the average temperature (threshold) for pruning and information on the inflorescences for pruning for each plant. Note that by clicking the tabs (1, 2, ...) in FIG. 8, it is possible to transition to the screen for each plant.

[0048] Thereafter, the process returns to step S10, and the above-described processing is repeatedly executed. The processing in Fig. 7 may be terminated in response to an instruction from the user terminal 70, or may be terminated at a predetermined timing (such as the end of the cultivation period).

[0049] (Experimental Example 1) Figure 9(a) is a graph showing the distribution of single fruit weight at harvest time when inflorescences are cultivated without pruning when the average temperature is 28°C or higher from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation to the date of flowering. The number of inflorescences analyzed was 32, and the number of fruits analyzed was 151.

[0050] FIG. 9(b) is a table showing the results of calculating the ratio of the number of fruits (fruit count) within each weight range to the total number of fruits.

[0051] Figures 9(a) and 9(b) show that 72.2% of the total number of fruits weighing less than 6g (undersized fruits) were on inflorescences where the average temperature from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation to the date of flowering was 28°C or higher. Therefore, even if inflorescences where the average temperature from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation to the date of flowering was 28°C or higher are thinned, the number of fruits shipped will not decrease significantly, and thinning will enable the plants to recover, which is expected to result in an increase in yield.

[0052] (Experimental Example 2) Figure 10 shows the results of confirming the weight of each flower (fruit) at harvest time when the inflorescence, the first of which bloomed on August 30, 2024, was cultivated without pruning, when the average temperature from the estimated date of flower bud differentiation to the date of flowering was 28.4°C.

[0053] From FIG. 10, it can be seen that all fruits did not exceed 6 g at harvest time, making them undersized, and therefore it is better to remove the inflorescences.

[0054] 11 is a diagram showing an overview of cluster thinning determination in one embodiment. According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, (1) the flowering information acquisition unit 30 acquires information on the flowering date of the first flower in the strawberry inflorescence (S13 in FIG. 7), and the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 acquires information on the air temperature of the field where the strawberries are grown from the environmental information management server 14 (S14 in FIG. 7). In addition, (2) the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 determines the day immediately before the cumulative air temperature, counting back from the flowering date of the first flower, reaches a predetermined temperature as the estimated flower bud differentiation date (S16 in FIG. 7), and (3) the average air temperature calculation unit 34 calculates the average air temperature for a second number of days after the estimated flower bud differentiation date (e.g., the number of days until the flowering date) (S18 in FIG. 7). Then, (4) if the average temperature value is equal to or greater than a threshold value (e.g., 28°C) (S20 in FIG. 7: Yes), the cluster pruning determination unit 36 ​​targets the cluster for pruning (S22 in FIG. 7), and the output unit 38 outputs the determination result of the cluster pruning determination unit 36 ​​(S26, S28 in FIG. 7). In this embodiment, based on the temperature during a specific period before the first flower of a cluster blooms, it is determined whether all of the fruits that will bear on that cluster are likely to be undersized, and based on the determination result, it is output whether the cluster should be pruned, so that the user (strawberry producer) can know which clusters should be pruned. As a result, by pruning clusters (fruit clusters) that will not be shipped, the plant can be nursed, which makes it possible to increase the yield.

[0055] In this embodiment, the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 estimates the flower bud differentiation date as the day immediately before the average temperature of each day, calculated from the first flowering date back to the flowering date, reaches a predetermined value. This allows the flower bud differentiation date to be estimated accurately without dissecting the plant or conducting an investigation.

[0056] In this embodiment, the flowering detection server 12 identifies the flowering date of the first flower by analyzing the image. This eliminates the need for the user (producer) to visually confirm flowering and input the flowering date, thereby saving the user time and effort.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the threshold value used to determine whether or not a plant is a target for tassel thinning based on the second number of days (the number of days indicating the period when the average temperature is calculated) and the average temperature is determined based on past cultivation results such as those shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b). This makes it possible to set appropriate values ​​for the second number of days and the threshold value. Furthermore, since the second number of days and the threshold value can be made different for each variety, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not a plant is a target for tassel thinning for each variety.

[0058] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the case where the cluster pinching determination server 10 receives the blooming inflorescence information from the blooming detection server 12 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cluster pinching determination server 10 may receive the blooming inflorescence information from the user terminal 70. That is, the user may visually identify the blooming date of the first flower of each inflorescence, and input the blooming date information and the plant and inflorescence information into the user terminal 70, and the user terminal 70 may then transmit the input information to the cluster pinching determination server 10.

[0059] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which, when the flowering date of the first flower is specified, the cluster pruning determination server 10 determines whether or not the cluster is a target for cluster pruning, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a user inputs a date (for example, today) into the user terminal 70, the cluster pruning determination server 10 may output information on whether or not the cluster to which the first flower belongs should be pruned when the first flower blooms on the input date.

[0060] Figure 12 shows a functional block diagram of the bunch-picking determination server 10 according to this modified example 2. The parts enclosed in bold lines in Figure 12 are different from those in Figure 3. In this modified example 2, as shown in Figure 12, a date information acquisition unit 130 is provided in place of the flowering information acquisition unit 30 in Figure 3, and a bunch-picking determination / output unit 136 is provided in place of the bunch-picking determination unit 36, determination result DB 40, and output unit 38 in Figure 3.

[0061] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of the bunch picking determination server 10 according to Modification 2. In Fig. 13, parts that differ from the processing in Fig. 7 are shown in bold frames, and "'" is added to the end of the step numbers.

[0062] When the process of FIG. 13 starts, first, in step S10′, the date information acquisition unit 130 waits until today's date is transmitted, and when the date is transmitted from the user terminal 70, the process proceeds to step S14′.

[0063] When proceeding to step S14', the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 communicates with the environmental information management server 14 to obtain the average daily temperature of the field for a predetermined period going back from today's date (for example, the period from the planting date to today).

[0064] Next, in step S16', the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 calculates the accumulated temperature going back from today's date and estimates the flower bud differentiation date. Specifically, the flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 calculates the accumulated temperature going back one day at a time from today, and estimates the day immediately before the calculated accumulated temperature reaches a predetermined temperature (e.g., 1000°C) as the flower bud differentiation date. The flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 transmits the estimated flower bud differentiation date and today's date information to the average temperature calculation unit 34.

[0065] Next, in step S18, the average temperature calculation unit 34 calculates the average temperature for a period of interest (second number of days) based on the flower bud differentiation date. If the period of interest (second number of days) is a period of 30 days from the estimated flower bud differentiation date, the average temperature calculation unit 34 calculates the average daily average temperature for that period. The flower bud differentiation date estimation unit 32 transmits the calculated average temperature, the flower bud differentiation date, and today's date information to the tassel pruning determination / output unit 136.

[0066] Next, in step S20, the bunch picking determination / output unit 136 determines whether the average temperature calculated in step S18 is equal to or higher than a threshold value (average temperature≧threshold value). The threshold value is, for example, 28°C.

[0067] If the determination in step S20 is positive, that is, if the average temperature is 28°C or higher, the process proceeds to step S22', where the cluster pruning determination / output unit 136 determines that the cluster where the first flower has bloomed today is the target for cluster pruning, and outputs this information to the user terminal 70. In this case, a screen such as that shown in Figure 14(a) (a screen indicating whether or not cluster pruning is required for the cluster where the first flower has bloomed today) is displayed on the display unit 193 of the user terminal 70. After that, all the processing in Figure 13 is terminated.

[0068] On the other hand, if the determination in step S20 is negative, the cluster pruning determination / output unit 136 proceeds to step S24', determines that the clusters included in the bloomed cluster information are not targets for cluster pruning, and outputs a message to that effect to the user terminal 70. In this case, the display unit 193 of the user terminal 70 displays a screen such as that shown in Figure 14(b) (a screen indicating whether clusters of clusters whose first flowers have bloomed today need to be pruned). After that, all the processing in Figure 13 is terminated.

[0069] As described above, in this variant example 2, when today's date is entered into the user terminal 70, the display unit 193 of the user terminal 70 can display whether or not the inflorescence cluster in which the first flower has bloomed today should be pruned (Figures 14(a) and 14(b)).

[0070] In the above embodiment and modified example, the case where the crop for which tassel pruning judgment is performed is strawberries has been described, but this is not limited to this, and tassel pruning judgment may also be performed for crops that produce flower clusters other than strawberries.

[0071] In the above embodiments and variations, "greater than" and "less than" may be read as "greater than," "smaller than," or "less than," and "greater than," "smaller than," or "less than" may be read as "greater than" and "less than."

[0072] The above processing functions can be realized by a computer. In this case, a program is provided that describes the processing contents of the functions that the processing device should have. By executing the program on a computer, the above processing functions are realized on the computer. The program that describes the processing contents can be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium (excluding carrier waves).

[0073] When distributing a program, it is sold in the form of a portable storage medium on which the program is recorded, such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory).The program can also be stored in the storage device of a server computer and transferred from the server computer to other computers via a network.

[0074] A computer that executes a program stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable storage medium or a program transferred from a server computer in its own storage device. The computer then reads the program from its own storage device and executes processing in accordance with the program. Note that the computer can also read the program directly from a portable storage medium and execute processing in accordance with that program. The computer can also execute processing in accordance with the program received each time a program is transferred from the server computer.

[0075] The above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10. Cluster thinning determination server 12 Flowering detection server 14 Environmental information management server 20. Target period and threshold specification section 30 Flowering Information Acquisition Department 32 Flower bud differentiation date estimation part 34 Average temperature calculation section 36 Tufting Judgment Department 38 Output section 40 Judgment result DB 70 User terminal 100 Agricultural Support System

Claims

1. Acquire information on the temperature of the cultivation environment of the crop in which the inflorescence occurs and information on the first flowering date of a specific inflorescence; Identifying the flower bud differentiation date from the accumulated temperature calculated retroactively from the first flowering date of the specific inflorescence, and calculating the average temperature for a predetermined number of days after the flower bud differentiation date based on the acquired temperature information; When the calculated average temperature value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the specific inflorescence is targeted for pruning; outputting information about the inflorescences to be pruned; An agricultural support method characterized in that processing is executed by a computer.

2. 2. The agricultural support method according to claim 1, wherein the flower bud differentiation date is the day immediately before the accumulated temperature, calculated by accumulating the average temperatures of each day going back from the first flowering date, reaches a predetermined value.

3. 2. The agricultural support method according to claim 1, wherein, in the acquiring process, information on the first flowering date of the specific inflorescence is acquired from a result of analyzing an image of the agricultural crop.

4. The agricultural support method according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is predetermined for each variety.

5. 2. The agricultural support method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of days is a predetermined number of days or the number of days from the flower bud differentiation date to the first flowering date.

6. Obtaining temperature information for the growing environment of the crops that produce inflorescences, Identifying the flower bud differentiation date from the accumulated temperature calculated retroactively from a predetermined date, and calculating the average temperature for a predetermined number of days after the flower bud differentiation date based on the acquired temperature information; When the calculated average temperature value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, an output is made indicating that the inflorescence in which the first flower bloomed on the specified day is a target for pruning. An agricultural support method characterized in that processing is executed by a computer.

7. Acquire information on the temperature of the cultivation environment of the crop in which the inflorescence occurs and information on the first flowering date of a specific inflorescence; Identifying the flower bud differentiation date from the accumulated temperature calculated retroactively from the first flowering date of the specific inflorescence, and calculating the average temperature for a predetermined number of days after the flower bud differentiation date based on the acquired temperature information; When the calculated average temperature value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the specific inflorescence is targeted for pruning; outputting information about the inflorescences to be pruned; An agricultural support program characterized by causing a computer to execute processing.

8. Obtaining temperature information for the growing environment of the crops that produce inflorescences, Identifying the flower bud differentiation date from the accumulated temperature calculated retroactively from a predetermined date, and calculating the average temperature for a predetermined number of days after the flower bud differentiation date based on the acquired temperature information; When the calculated average temperature value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, an output is made indicating that the inflorescence in which the first flower bloomed on the specified day is a target for pruning. An agricultural support program characterized by causing a computer to execute processing.

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