Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that enable more optimal irrigation to be performed. A determination processing unit determines whether a time zone is an irrigation target time zone from a predetermined irrigation start time to an irrigation end time. When it is detected that the water content of soil has become equal to or less than an irrigation threshold value in the irrigation target time zone, an irrigation amount determination unit calculates, on the basis of a change in the water content of the soil after previous irrigation was performed, an irrigation amount of current irrigation so that the water content of the soil at the irrigation end time reaches the irrigation threshold value. If the calculated irrigation amount exceeds a basic irrigation amount, the irrigation amount determination unit makes a determination to use the basic irrigation amount as the irrigation amount for when actually performing irrigation. On the other hand, if the calculated irrigation amount is less than the basic irrigation amount, the irrigation amount determination unit makes a determination to use the calculated irrigation amount as the irrigation amount for when actually performing irrigation. The present technology can be applied, for example, to an irrigation system that performs irrigation according to the water content of soil.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program, and in particular to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that enable more optimal irrigation.

[0002] It has been known that in plant cultivation, it is necessary to appropriately adjust the soil moisture content. For example, if the soil moisture content is too low, crop growth can be hindered and the crops can wither. On the other hand, if the soil moisture content is too high, crop diseases can occur and pests can be attracted, resulting in damage to the crops.

[0003] Therefore, it is known that it is preferable to adjust the soil moisture content in plant cultivation so that the soil moisture content is sufficient for photosynthesis during the day and reduced to near the wilting point at night to support root respiration. Furthermore, in the cultivation of fruits such as tomatoes, strawberries, melons, and grapes, it has been proposed to increase the sugar content of the fruit and improve its quality by deliberately reducing the soil moisture content to near the wilting point during the day when photosynthesis is occurring, thereby applying water stress.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an irrigation device that adjusts the amount of irrigation water taking into account the amount of solar radiation when irrigating. Patent Document 2 discloses a nutrient solution soil culture system that calculates the amount of nutrient solution to be supplied to crops by calculating the integrated amount of solar radiation over a predetermined time interval based on solar radiation information, and adjusts the amount of nutrient solution according to the moisture content of the soil.

[0005] JP 2016-127815 A JP 2015-080438 A

[0006] As disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2, techniques have been proposed in the past for adjusting the amount of irrigation water according to the amount of solar radiation. However, for example, the relationship between the amount of transpiration and the amount of solar radiation is not constant, and there is a demand for techniques that can provide more optimal irrigation.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and aims to enable more optimal irrigation.

[0008] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a determination processing unit that determines whether a time period from a predetermined irrigation start time to a predetermined irrigation end time is currently an irrigation target time, and an irrigation amount determination unit that, when it is detected that the soil moisture content during the irrigation target time period has fallen below an irrigation threshold, calculates the amount of irrigation water for this irrigation based on the change in the soil moisture content since the previous irrigation so that the soil moisture content at the time when irrigation ends will be the irrigation threshold, and if the calculated irrigation amount exceeds a basic irrigation amount, determines to use the basic irrigation amount as the amount of irrigation water to be used when actually irrigating, while if the calculated irrigation amount is less than the basic irrigation amount, determines to use the calculated irrigation amount as the amount of irrigation water to be used when actually irrigating.

[0009] An information processing method or program of one aspect of the present disclosure includes determining whether a time period from a specified irrigation start time to a specified irrigation end time is currently within the irrigation target time range, and when it is detected that the soil moisture content has fallen below the irrigation threshold during the irrigation target time range, calculating the amount of irrigation water for this irrigation based on the change in soil moisture content after the previous irrigation so that the soil moisture content at the time of irrigation end will be the irrigation threshold, and if the calculated irrigation water volume exceeds the basic irrigation water volume, deciding to use the basic irrigation water volume as the amount of irrigation water when actually performing irrigation, while if the calculated irrigation water volume is less than the basic irrigation water volume, deciding to use the calculated irrigation water volume as the amount of irrigation water when actually performing irrigation.

[0010] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a determination is made as to whether a time period from a predetermined irrigation start time to a predetermined irrigation end time is within a target irrigation time period, and if it is detected that the soil moisture content has fallen below the irrigation threshold during the target irrigation time period, the irrigation water volume for the current irrigation is calculated based on the change in soil moisture content since the previous irrigation was performed so that the soil moisture content at the time of irrigation end will be the irrigation threshold. If the calculated irrigation water volume exceeds the basic irrigation water volume, it is determined that the basic irrigation water volume will be used as the irrigation water volume for actual irrigation, whereas if the calculated irrigation water volume is less than the basic irrigation water volume, it is determined that the calculated irrigation water volume will be used as the irrigation water volume for actual irrigation.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of an embodiment of an irrigation system to which the present technology is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a basic irrigation amount. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a first processing example of irrigation control processing. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an irrigation control device. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating irrigation water consumption time when the previous irrigation was today. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating irrigation water consumption time when the previous irrigation was not today. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating irrigation control processing. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second processing example of irrigation control processing. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a third processing example of irrigation control processing. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fourth processing example of irrigation control processing. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an embodiment of a computer to which the present technology is applied.

[0012] Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present technology is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <Configuration Example of Irrigation System> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an embodiment of an irrigation system to which the present technology is applied.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the irrigation system 11 is composed of a water storage tank 12, a water supply device 13, an irrigation tube 14, a soil moisture measuring device 15, and an irrigation control device 16, and the irrigation tube 14 and the soil moisture measuring device 15 are arranged in the soil where crops are grown.

[0015] The water storage tank 12 stores water (or nutrient solution, etc.) for irrigating the soil in the irrigation system 11.

[0016] The water supply device 13 is composed of a pump, an electromagnetic valve, etc., and, under the control of the irrigation control device 16, uses the pump to draw water from the water storage tank 12 and opens the electromagnetic valve, thereby supplying the water from the water storage tank 12 to the irrigation tube 14.

[0017] The irrigation tube 14 has a plurality of holes formed at equal intervals, and water conveyed from the water conveying device 13 is evenly discharged through these holes as drip points to irrigate the soil.

[0018] The soil moisture measuring device 15 measures the amount of water contained in the soil and transmits soil moisture data indicating the amount of water to the irrigation control device 16. For example, the soil moisture amount can be measured using the volumetric water content of the soil, the soil matric potential, or the weight of the soil.

[0019] The irrigation control device 16 determines the amount of water to be applied to the soil in one irrigation (hereinafter referred to as the irrigation amount) based on the soil moisture content indicated by the soil moisture data transmitted from the soil moisture measuring device 15, and controls the water supply device 13 to supply water according to the determined irrigation amount to the irrigation tubes 14. For example, the irrigation control device 16 can irrigate the soil with a desired amount of water by adjusting the irrigation time, which is the time for which the solenoid valve of the water supply device 13 is opened, according to the water supply amount corresponding to the water supply capacity of the pump of the water supply device 13. Note that in this embodiment, an irrigation control process that controls the irrigation amount will be described, but optimal irrigation can also be achieved by using an irrigation control process that controls the irrigation time.

[0020] For example, when performing a certain irrigation, the irrigation control device 16 determines the amount of water to be irrigated so that the amount of water changes in the soil due to the irrigation and results in an amount of water that is optimal for growing crops.

[0021] Here, in order to optimize crop growth, it is necessary to maximize the amount of roots in the crop. Since crop roots cannot exist in soil without moisture, in order to maximize the amount of roots in the crop, it is necessary to achieve uniform soil moisture by irrigating with an amount of water that wets as evenly as possible the entire soil that will become the root zone of the crop.

[0022] On the other hand, if more water than necessary is irrigated, the amount of water drained from the soil will increase, resulting in wasted water. To avoid such waste, it is necessary to set an upper limit on the amount of water that can be irrigated per time based on the water retention capacity of the soil.

[0023] Therefore, the irrigation control device 16 is set with a standard irrigation amount (hereinafter referred to as the basic irrigation amount) that satisfies the uniformity of soil moisture and is equal to or less than the upper limit of the amount of irrigation per time.

[0024] The basic irrigation amount that satisfies soil moisture uniformity and is below the upper limit of the amount of irrigation per irrigation will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 shows an image (left side is a plan view, right side is a side view) of water seeping into the soil in a bell-shaped pattern from the drip point of the irrigation tube 14 when drip irrigating soil.

[0025] Figure 2A shows an example of how water seeps into the soil when there is only one drip point and the amount of irrigation is small. In this way, with a small amount of irrigation, the water does not reach the bottom of the soil, and uniform soil moisture cannot be achieved.

[0026] Figure 2B shows an example of how water seeps into the soil when there is one drip point and the amount of irrigation is appropriate. In this way, with the appropriate amount of irrigation, water reaches just the bottom of the soil, achieving uniform soil moisture.

[0027] Figure 2C shows an example of how water seeps into the soil when there is only one drip point and too much water is applied. In this way, too much water simply drains out of the soil, resulting in wasted water.

[0028] Figure 2D shows an example of how water seeps into the soil when there are multiple drip points and the amount of irrigation is small. As shown here, with a small amount of irrigation, even if water is irrigated from multiple drip points, the water does not reach the bottom of the soil, and uniform soil moisture cannot be achieved.

[0029] Figure 2E shows an example of how water seeps into the soil when there are multiple drip points and the amount of irrigation is appropriate. In this way, with the appropriate amount of irrigation, water reaches just the bottom of the soil, achieving uniform soil moisture.

[0030] Therefore, in the irrigation system 11, by using an appropriate irrigation amount as shown in B or E of Figure 2 as the basic irrigation amount, it is possible to achieve uniform soil moisture without wasting water and maximize the root volume of agricultural crops.

[0031] <First Processing Example of Irrigation Control Processing> A first processing example of the irrigation control processing performed by the irrigation control device 16 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0032] First, the user of the irrigation system 11 sets the irrigation time period (the time from the start time of irrigation to the end time of irrigation) in the irrigation control device 16. For example, the irrigation time period can be set by specifying the offset time for the sunrise time to determine the start time of irrigation and the offset time for the sunset time to determine the end time of irrigation.

[0033] The irrigation control device 16 executes irrigation control processing to determine the amount of irrigation water to be applied this time and repeatedly irrigate each time it detects that the moisture content of the soil has fallen below the irrigation threshold during the irrigation time period. For example, as shown in Figure 3, on sunny days, the moisture content of the soil decreases more quickly, so irrigation is performed more frequently, and on cloudy days, the moisture content of the soil decreases more slowly, so irrigation is performed less frequently.

[0034] First, the irrigation control device 16 calculates the current irrigation amount W1 (= (W0 / T0) x T1) using the previous irrigation amount W0, the irrigation water consumption time T0, which is the time from the previous irrigation time to the current irrigation time, and the estimated time T1, which is the time from the current irrigation time to the end of irrigation. In other words, it is assumed that the moisture content of the soil after the current irrigation will change in the same way as the moisture content of the soil after the previous irrigation, and the irrigation control device 16 calculates the irrigation amount for the current irrigation based on the change in the moisture content of the soil after the previous irrigation (W0 / T0) so that the moisture content of the soil at the end of irrigation will be the irrigation threshold.

[0035] In this case, if the previous irrigation was performed today, the irrigation control device 16 calculates the current irrigation amount W1 using the actual time from the previous irrigation time to the current irrigation time as the irrigation consumption time T0, as shown in Figure 4.

[0036] On the other hand, if the previous irrigation was not performed today (i.e., before sunrise today), the irrigation control device 16 calculates the current irrigation water amount W1 by using the irrigation water consumption time T0, which is the actual time from the previous irrigation time to the current irrigation time, excluding the nighttime period (the time from sunset to sunrise), as shown in Figure 5. In other words, because plants do not consume much water during the nighttime period from sunset to sunrise, the current irrigation water amount W1 is calculated by excluding the nighttime period from the irrigation water consumption time T0.

[0037] If the current irrigation amount W1 exceeds the basic irrigation amount, the irrigation control device 16 determines to use the basic irrigation amount as the irrigation amount when actually irrigating. On the other hand, if the current irrigation amount W1 is less than the basic irrigation amount, the irrigation control device 16 determines to use the current irrigation amount W1 as the irrigation amount when actually irrigating.

[0038] As described above, the irrigation control device 16 can determine the amount of irrigation water for this irrigation based on the change in the moisture content of the soil after the previous irrigation so that the moisture content of the soil at the time irrigation ends is the irrigation threshold value and is less than the basic irrigation amount.

[0039] Therefore, the irrigation system 11 can achieve uniform soil moisture with a single irrigation and prevent water from being wasted from the soil.

[0040] Furthermore, the irrigation system 11 adjusts the amount of irrigation water so that the soil moisture level at the time irrigation ends is equal to the irrigation threshold, thereby avoiding impeding the respiration of the roots of the crops or preventing water stress, thereby achieving more optimal irrigation. In other words, the irrigation system 11 can appropriately reduce the moisture level of the soil during the period from the time irrigation ends until sunset, thereby enabling irrigation that helps the roots of the crops respire and makes it easier to apply water stress.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the irrigation control device 16.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, the irrigation control device 16 is configured to include an input unit 21, a display unit 22, and a control processing unit 23.

[0043] The input unit 21 acquires information input by the user to the irrigation control device 16 and supplies it to the control processing unit 23. For example, the input unit 21 receives information such as an offset time for setting a time period for irrigation, a basic irrigation amount according to the water retention capacity of the soil, and an irrigation threshold for determining whether irrigation should be performed.

[0044] The display unit 22 displays various types of information to be presented to the user, a GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc. For example, the display unit 22 can display the amount of irrigation water determined by the control processing unit 23, a graph showing changes in the moisture content of the soil measured by the soil moisture measuring device 15, a GUI that instructs the user to start or stop irrigation, etc.

[0045] The control processing unit 23 includes a data storage unit 31, a judgment processing unit 32, an irrigation amount determination unit 33, and an irrigation execution unit 34.

[0046] The data storage unit 31 stores various data required to execute irrigation control processing, such as soil moisture data transmitted from the soil moisture measuring device 15 and historical data on the irrigation amount determined by the irrigation amount determination unit 33.

[0047] The determination processing unit 32 performs various determination processes executed in the irrigation control process. For example, the determination processing unit 32 determines whether or not it is a time period for irrigation, whether or not the moisture content of the soil is equal to or less than the irrigation threshold, whether or not there is a history of previous irrigation, and whether or not the previous irrigation was performed today.

[0048] As described above with reference to Figures 3 to 5, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 determines the amount of irrigation for this current irrigation based on the change in the moisture content of the soil after the previous irrigation so that the moisture content of the soil at the time irrigation ends will be the irrigation threshold value and will be less than the basic irrigation amount.

[0049] The irrigation execution unit 34 controls the water conveying device 13 to execute irrigation so that irrigation is performed at the irrigation amount determined by the irrigation amount determination unit 33 .

[0050] The irrigation control device 16 is configured in this manner, and is capable of executing irrigation control processing to achieve uniform soil moisture with a single irrigation, while avoiding unnecessary drainage of water from the soil, thereby providing more optimal irrigation.

[0051] The irrigation control process executed by the irrigation control device 16 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0052] For example, when the irrigation control device 16 is started, processing begins. In step S11, the determination processing unit 32 determines whether the current time is within the irrigation target time slot in accordance with the offset time specified by the user using the input unit 21, and waits until it determines that the current time is within the irrigation target time slot. When the determination processing unit 32 determines that the current time is within the irrigation target time slot, processing proceeds to step S12.

[0053] In step S12, the judgment processing unit 32 refers to the latest soil moisture content data stored in the data storage unit 31 and determines whether the soil moisture content is below the irrigation threshold value specified by the user using the input unit 21.

[0054] If the determination processor 32 determines in step S12 that the soil moisture content is not equal to or less than the irrigation threshold (i.e., that the soil moisture content exceeds the irrigation threshold), the process returns to step S11, and the same process is repeated thereafter. On the other hand, if the determination processor 32 determines in step S12 that the soil moisture content is equal to or less than the irrigation threshold, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0055] In step S13, the determination processing unit 32 refers to the history data stored in the data storage unit 31 and determines whether there is a history of previous watering.

[0056] In step S13, if the determination processing unit 32 determines that there is a history of previous watering, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0057] In step S14, the determination processing unit 32 refers to the history data stored in the data storage unit 31 and determines whether the previous watering was performed today.

[0058] If the determination processing unit 32 determines in step S14 that the previous irrigation was performed today, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 calculates the current irrigation amount W1 (= (W0 / T0) × T1) using the actual time from the previous irrigation time to the current irrigation time as the irrigation water consumption time T0, as described above with reference to FIG. 4. If the current irrigation amount W1 exceeds the basic irrigation amount, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 determines to use the basic irrigation amount as the irrigation amount when actually performing irrigation, and if the current irrigation amount W1 is less than the basic irrigation amount, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 determines to use the current irrigation amount W1 as the irrigation amount when actually performing irrigation.

[0059] On the other hand, if the determination processing unit 32 determines in step S14 that the previous irrigation was not performed today (i.e., before sunrise today), the process proceeds to step S16. In step S16, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 calculates the current irrigation amount W1 (= (W0 / T0) × T1) using the irrigation water consumption time T0, which is the actual time from the previous irrigation time to the current irrigation time, excluding nighttime hours, as described above with reference to FIG. 5. If the current irrigation amount W1 exceeds the basic irrigation amount, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 determines to use the basic irrigation amount as the irrigation amount when actually performing irrigation, and if the current irrigation amount W1 is less than the basic irrigation amount, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 determines to use the current irrigation amount W1 as the irrigation amount when actually performing irrigation.

[0060] On the other hand, if the determination processing unit 32 determines in step S13 that there is no history of previous irrigation, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 determines to use the basic irrigation amount as the irrigation amount when actually irrigating.

[0061] After steps S15 to S17, the process proceeds to step S18. In step S18, the irrigation amount determination unit 33 notifies the irrigation execution unit 34 of the irrigation amount determined in any of steps S15 to S17, and the irrigation execution unit 34 controls the water supply device 13 to irrigate at that irrigation amount. Then, the process returns to step S11, and the same process is repeated thereafter.

[0062] By executing the irrigation control process described above, it is possible to achieve uniformity of soil moisture with a single irrigation, and to avoid unnecessary drainage of water from the soil, thereby enabling more optimal irrigation.

[0063] <Second Processing Example of Irrigation Control Processing> A second processing example of the irrigation control processing performed by the irrigation control device 16 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0064] As shown in Figure 8, the irrigation control device 16 can control irrigation based on an irrigation threshold for determining whether irrigation should be performed during the irrigation time period, and a water stress threshold that is set lower than the irrigation threshold and allows appropriate water stress to be applied to crops.

[0065] For example, during the irrigation time period, irrigation is performed when it is detected that the soil moisture content has fallen below the irrigation threshold, as in the first processing example described above. In the second processing example, the irrigation control device 16 calculates the amount of irrigation water to be applied this time based on the change in soil moisture content after the previous irrigation so that the soil moisture content at the time irrigation ends will be the water stress threshold. As a result, in the second processing example, as in the first processing example described above, uniform soil moisture can be achieved with a single irrigation and unnecessary water drainage from the soil can be avoided.

[0066] In the second processing example, when the irrigation control device 16 detects that the moisture content of the soil has fallen below the water stress threshold during the period from the end of irrigation to sunset, it irrigates with a small amount of water that does not cause excessive stress (an amount of water that is sufficiently less than the amount of water that is used during the target irrigation period).

[0067] In this way, the irrigation system 11 can provide appropriate water stress to crops by irrigating with a small amount of water during the time period from the end of irrigation until sunset so as to prevent the soil moisture content from falling below the water stress threshold. In particular, the second processing example can provide appropriate water stress to crops even on cloudy days.

[0068] <Third Processing Example of Irrigation Control Processing> A third processing example of the irrigation control processing performed by the irrigation control device 16 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0069] For example, during the irrigation time period, irrigation is performed when it is detected that the soil moisture content has fallen below the irrigation threshold, as in the first processing example described above. In this case, in the third processing example, the irrigation control device 16 adjusts the amount of irrigation water per irrigation session according to the amount of solar radiation. This allows the amount of irrigation water to be gradually increased according to the amount of solar radiation, for example, on sunny days, so that the entire soil can be wetted with a more appropriate amount of water each time.

[0070] Furthermore, if a large amount of irrigation water is administered immediately before the end of the irrigation period, it is expected that this will hinder the respiration of the crop roots and prevent the crops from being subjected to water stress. Therefore, by adjusting the amount of water irrigation in one irrigation session according to the amount of solar radiation, it is possible to more appropriately apply water stress to the crops. In particular, on cloudy days, the soil moisture content tends to increase after sunset, so it is preferable to adjust the amount of water irrigation in one irrigation session according to the amount of solar radiation.

[0071] For example, the irrigation control device 16 can adjust the irrigation amount based on the instantaneous amount of solar radiation at the time of irrigation or the accumulated amount of solar radiation since the previous irrigation. Alternatively, the irrigation control device 16 may adjust the irrigation amount based on the amount of solar radiation that has been intentionally reduced (e.g., the amount of solar radiation reduced depending on the time until sunset) as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 9 rather than the actual amount of solar radiation. By adjusting the irrigation amount based on the amount of solar radiation that has been intentionally reduced in this way, the water content at the time of irrigation termination can be controlled to approach the irrigation threshold.

[0072] Furthermore, by adjusting the amount of irrigation water according to the amount of solar radiation, it is possible to irrigate appropriately in response to, for example, sudden changes in weather. In other words, if the amount of irrigation water is not adjusted according to the amount of solar radiation, when the weather suddenly changes from sunny to cloudy, irrigation will be performed at the same amount as on sunny days, which is expected to increase the moisture content of the soil. In contrast, when the amount of irrigation water is adjusted according to the amount of solar radiation, it is possible to prevent the moisture content of the soil from increasing even when the weather suddenly changes from sunny to cloudy.

[0073] In this way, the irrigation system 11 can adjust the amount of water per irrigation according to the amount of solar radiation, thereby enabling appropriate irrigation to be carried out in response to sudden changes in weather.

[0074] <Fourth Processing Example of Irrigation Control Processing> A fourth processing example of the irrigation control processing performed by the irrigation control device 16 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0075] For example, during the irrigation time period, irrigation is performed when it is detected that the soil moisture content has fallen below the irrigation threshold, as in the first processing example described above. In this case, in the fourth processing example, the irrigation control device 16 adjusts the amount of water irrigated per irrigation session according to humidity (i.e., saturation deficit). For example, when humidity is high, crops have difficulty transpiration, so if too much water is irrigated, the moisture will have nowhere to escape, potentially resulting in crop damage (e.g., cracking of tomatoes). In contrast, for example, when humidity is high (i.e., saturation deficit is low), adjusting the amount of water irrigated per irrigation session to reduce it can avoid such damage and allow for more optimal irrigation.

[0076] In this way, the irrigation system 11 adjusts the amount of water per irrigation according to the humidity, thereby enabling irrigation to be performed at an appropriate amount according to the humidity.

[0077] The irrigation control device 16 may use irrigation thresholds with a predetermined cycle rather than always using a constant irrigation threshold. For example, the irrigation control device 16 may use irrigation thresholds that vary according to the day of the week, such as using a 40% irrigation threshold on Mondays and Tuesdays and a 20% irrigation threshold on Wednesdays through Sundays. In this way, adjusting the soil moisture content at a certain cycle can ensure both the growth of crop roots and the quality of the crops.

[0078] The irrigation control device 16 may also change the irrigation threshold for a certain period of time in response to an input by a user of the irrigation system 11 to the input unit 21. For example, if the crops are becoming tired, the user can make an input to increase the irrigation threshold for a certain period of time to promote the recovery of the crops.

[0079] Furthermore, the irrigation system 11 can measure the water temperature in the water storage tank 12 and the irrigation tubes 14, and the irrigation control device 16 can adjust the time to start irrigation based on the water temperature measurement results. For example, the irrigation control device 16 can be set to start irrigation at the timing when measurement results indicate that the water temperature in the water storage tank 12 and the irrigation tubes 14 has reached an appropriate temperature.

[0080] Furthermore, the irrigation control device 16 may adjust the time of irrigation start according to the season based on the temperature of the water in the water storage tank 12 and the irrigation tube 14.

[0081] For example, in the summer, the irrigation control device 16 can be set to start irrigation before sunrise when measurement results indicate that all water temperatures are within the appropriate temperature range and the temperature difference between the water temperature in the irrigation tube 14 and the water temperature in the water storage tank 12 is greater than a certain level.

[0082] In addition, when it is winter, the irrigation control device 16 can be set to start irrigation after sunrise when measurement results show that the water temperature in the irrigation tube 14 is at an appropriate temperature and the temperature difference between the water temperature in the irrigation tube 14 and the water temperature in the water storage tank 12 is greater than a certain level.

[0083] As described above, if the actual time from the previous irrigation time to the current irrigation time, excluding the nighttime period, is used as the irrigation water consumption time, there is a concern that the amount of water to be irrigated for the first irrigation of the day after sunrise may not be appropriate if the weather fluctuates significantly at night. For example, if the previous day was sunny and today is cloudy, the amount of water to be irrigated for the first irrigation of the day may be too high. Therefore, for example, for the first irrigation of the day, irrigation may be performed at a fixed amount without using the previous day's history, and the change in soil moisture content for the day may be measured and the amount of water to be irrigated may be determined based on that change.

[0084] <Example of Computer Configuration> Next, the above-described series of processes (information processing method) can be performed by hardware or software. When the series of processes is performed by software, a program constituting the software is installed in a general-purpose computer or the like.

[0085] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an embodiment of a computer in which a program for executing the above-described series of processes is installed.

[0086] The program can be recorded in advance on the hard disk 105 or ROM 103 as a recording medium built into the computer.

[0087] Alternatively, the program can be stored (recorded) on a removable recording medium 111 driven by the drive 109. Such a removable recording medium 111 can be provided as a so-called package software. Here, examples of the removable recording medium 111 include a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), an MO (Magneto Optical) disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a magnetic disk, and a semiconductor memory.

[0088] The program can be installed into the computer from the removable recording medium 111 as described above, or can be downloaded to the computer via a communication network or a broadcasting network and installed on the built-in hard disk 105. That is, the program can be transferred to the computer wirelessly from a download site via an artificial satellite for digital satellite broadcasting, or transferred to the computer by wire via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

[0089] The computer includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 102 , to which an input / output interface 110 is connected via a bus 101 .

[0090] When a user inputs a command via the input / output interface 110 by operating the input unit 107, the CPU 102 executes a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 103 in accordance with the command. Alternatively, the CPU 102 loads a program stored on a hard disk 105 into a random access memory (RAM) 104 and executes the program.

[0091] As a result, the CPU 102 performs processing according to the flowchart described above or processing performed by the configuration of the block diagram described above. Then, the CPU 102 outputs the processing results from the output unit 106 via the input / output interface 110, transmits them from the communication unit 108, or records them on the hard disk 105, as necessary.

[0092] The input unit 107 is made up of a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, etc. The output unit 106 is made up of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a speaker, etc.

[0093] In this specification, the processing performed by a computer according to a program does not necessarily have to be performed in chronological order according to the order described in the flowchart. In other words, the processing performed by a computer according to a program also includes processing that is executed in parallel or individually (for example, parallel processing or object-based processing).

[0094] The program may be processed by a single computer (processor), or may be distributed among multiple computers. Furthermore, the program may be transferred to and executed on a remote computer.

[0095] Furthermore, in this specification, a system refers to a collection of multiple components (devices, modules (components), etc.), regardless of whether all of the components are contained in the same housing. Therefore, multiple devices housed in separate housings and connected via a network, and a single device housed in a single housing with multiple modules, are both systems.

[0096] Also, for example, a configuration described as one device (or processing unit) may be divided and configured as multiple devices (or processing units). Conversely, configurations described above as multiple devices (or processing units) may be combined and configured as one device (or processing unit). Of course, configurations other than those described above may be added to the configuration of each device (or each processing unit). Furthermore, as long as the configuration and operation of the entire system are substantially the same, part of the configuration of one device (or processing unit) may be included in the configuration of another device (or other processing unit).

[0097] Furthermore, for example, the present technology can be configured as a cloud computing system in which a single function is shared and processed collaboratively by a plurality of devices via a network.

[0098] Furthermore, for example, the above-described program can be executed in any device, as long as the device has the necessary functions (functional blocks, etc.) and can obtain the necessary information.

[0099] Also, for example, each step described in the above flowchart can be executed by one device or can be shared and executed by multiple devices. Furthermore, if one step includes multiple processes, the multiple processes included in that one step can be executed by one device or can be shared and executed by multiple devices. In other words, multiple processes included in one step can be executed as multiple step processes. Conversely, processes described as multiple steps can be executed collectively as a single step.

[0100] In addition, the processing of the steps of a program executed by a computer may be executed in chronological order according to the order described in this specification, or may be executed in parallel or individually at the required timing, such as when a call is made. In other words, as long as no contradiction occurs, the processing of each step may be executed in an order different from the order described above. Furthermore, the processing of the steps of this program may be executed in parallel with the processing of another program, or may be executed in combination with the processing of another program.

[0101] It should be noted that the present technologies described in this specification can be implemented independently and singly, unless a contradiction arises. Of course, any two or more of the present technologies can also be implemented in combination. For example, part or all of the present technologies described in any embodiment can be implemented in combination with part or all of the present technologies described in other embodiments. Furthermore, part or all of any of the present technologies described above can also be implemented in combination with other technologies not described above.

[0102] <Example of Combination of Configurations> The present technology can also be configured as follows: (1) An information processing device including: a determination processing unit that determines whether a predetermined irrigation time period from a predetermined irrigation start time to a predetermined irrigation end time is in progress; and an irrigation amount determination unit that, when it is detected that the soil moisture content has fallen below a watering threshold during the irrigation time period, calculates an irrigation amount for a current irrigation based on a change in the soil moisture content since the previous irrigation so that the soil moisture content at the irrigation end time will be the watering threshold, and, if the calculated irrigation amount exceeds a basic irrigation amount, determines to use the basic irrigation amount as the irrigation amount for actual irrigation, while, if the calculated irrigation amount is less than the basic irrigation amount, determines to use the calculated irrigation amount as the irrigation amount for actual irrigation. (2) The basic irrigation amount is an irrigation amount that satisfies soil moisture uniformity and is below an upper limit of the irrigation amount per irrigation that is set according to the water retention capacity of the soil. (3) The information processing device described in (1) or (2) above, wherein the irrigation amount determination unit uses the actual time from the time of the previous irrigation to the time of the current irrigation when calculating the irrigation amount for the current irrigation if the previous irrigation was performed today. (4) The information processing device described in any of (1) to (3) above, wherein the irrigation amount determination unit uses the actual time from the time of the previous irrigation to the time of the current irrigation, excluding nighttime hours, when calculating the irrigation amount for the current irrigation if the previous irrigation was performed other than today. (5) The information processing device described in any of (1) to (4) above, wherein the irrigation amount determination unit calculates the irrigation amount for the current irrigation based on a water stress threshold that is set lower than the irrigation threshold so that the moisture content of the soil at the time of the irrigation end will be the water stress threshold, and causes irrigation with a small amount of water when it is detected that the moisture content of the soil has become equal to or lower than the water stress threshold during the time period from the time of the irrigation end to sunset. (6) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the irrigation amount determination unit adjusts the amount of irrigation in one irrigation in accordance with the amount of solar radiation.(7) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the irrigation amount determination unit adjusts the amount of irrigation for each irrigation in accordance with humidity. (8) An information processing method, comprising: an information processing device that performs irrigation control processing, determining whether or not a predetermined irrigation time period from an irrigation start time to an irrigation end time is falling within the irrigation target time period; and, when it is detected that the soil moisture content has fallen below an irrigation threshold during the irrigation target time period, calculating the amount of irrigation for the current irrigation based on the change in the soil moisture content since the previous irrigation was performed so that the soil moisture content at the irrigation end time will be the irrigation threshold, and, when the calculated irrigation amount exceeds a basic irrigation amount, determining to use the basic irrigation amount as the amount of irrigation for actual irrigation, and, when the calculated irrigation amount is less than the basic irrigation amount, determining to use the calculated irrigation amount as the amount of irrigation for actual irrigation. (9) A program for causing a computer of an information processing device that performs irrigation control processing to execute processing including: determining whether or not a time period is a target irrigation time period from a specified irrigation start time to an irrigation end time; and, when it is detected that the soil moisture content during the target irrigation time period has fallen below the irrigation threshold, calculating the amount of irrigation water for this irrigation based on the change in soil moisture content after the previous irrigation so that the soil moisture content at the time of irrigation end will be the irrigation threshold; and, if the calculated amount of irrigation water exceeds the basic irrigation amount, determining to use the basic irrigation amount as the amount of irrigation water when actually performing irrigation, while, if the calculated amount of irrigation water is less than the basic irrigation amount, determining to use the calculated amount of irrigation water as the amount of irrigation water when actually performing irrigation.

[0103] It should be noted that the present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting, and other effects may also be obtained.

[0104] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Irrigation system, 12 Water storage tank, 13 Water supply device, 14 Irrigation tube, 15 Soil moisture measuring device, 16 Irrigation control device, 21 Input unit, 22 Display unit, 23 Control processing unit, 31 Data storage unit, 32 Judgment processing unit, 33 Irrigation amount determination unit, 34 Irrigation execution unit

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: a determination processing unit which determines whether or not a time period from a specified irrigation start time to a specified irrigation end time is within a target irrigation time period; and an irrigation amount determination unit which, when it is detected that the soil moisture content during the target irrigation time period has fallen below an irrigation threshold, calculates the amount of irrigation for this irrigation based on the change in soil moisture content after the previous irrigation so that the soil moisture content at the time when irrigation ends will be the irrigation threshold, and if the calculated irrigation amount exceeds a basic irrigation amount, determines to use the basic irrigation amount as the irrigation amount when actually performing irrigation, while if the calculated irrigation amount is less than the basic irrigation amount, determines to use the calculated irrigation amount as the irrigation amount when actually performing irrigation.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the basic irrigation amount is an amount of irrigation that satisfies soil moisture uniformity and is equal to or less than an upper limit of the amount of irrigation per time that is set according to the water retention capacity of the soil.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the irrigation amount determination unit uses the actual time from the previous irrigation time to the current irrigation time when calculating the irrigation amount for the current irrigation if the previous irrigation was performed today.

4. The information processing device of claim 1, wherein when calculating the amount of irrigation for the current irrigation, if the previous irrigation was not performed today, the irrigation amount determination unit uses the actual time from the previous irrigation time to the current irrigation time excluding nighttime hours.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the irrigation amount determination unit calculates the amount of irrigation for the current irrigation based on a water stress threshold set lower than the irrigation threshold so that the moisture content of the soil at the time when irrigation ends is equal to the water stress threshold, and causes irrigation with a small amount of water when it detects that the moisture content of the soil has fallen below the water stress threshold during the period from the time when irrigation ends to sunset.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the irrigation amount determination unit adjusts the amount of irrigation in one irrigation session in accordance with the amount of solar radiation.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the irrigation amount determination unit adjusts the amount of irrigation in one irrigation session in accordance with humidity.

8. An information processing method including an information processing device that performs irrigation control processing, determining whether or not the current irrigation time period is from a specified irrigation start time to an irrigation end time, and when it is detected that the soil moisture content during the irrigation time period has fallen below an irrigation threshold, calculating the amount of irrigation for this irrigation based on the change in soil moisture content after the previous irrigation so that the soil moisture content at the irrigation end time will be the irrigation threshold, and if the calculated irrigation amount exceeds a basic irrigation amount, deciding to use the basic irrigation amount as the irrigation amount when actually performing irrigation, while if the calculated irrigation amount is less than the basic irrigation amount, deciding to use the calculated irrigation amount as the irrigation amount when actually performing irrigation.

9. A program for causing a computer of an information processing device that performs irrigation control processing to execute processing including: determining whether or not the current irrigation time period is a time period from a specified irrigation start time to an irrigation end time; and, when it is detected that the soil moisture content during the current irrigation time period has fallen below the irrigation threshold, calculating the amount of irrigation water for this irrigation based on the change in soil moisture content since the previous irrigation so that the soil moisture content at the time when irrigation ends will be the irrigation threshold, and if the calculated irrigation water volume exceeds a basic irrigation volume, deciding to use the basic irrigation volume as the irrigation volume when actually performing irrigation, while if the calculated irrigation water volume is less than the basic irrigation volume, deciding to use the calculated irrigation water volume as the irrigation volume when actually performing irrigation.

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