Patent ID: 7047135
Filing Date: 2006-05-16
Classification: A01B,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method for evaluating performance of a crop, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining environmental measurements associated with a geographic region, each environmental measurement including at least one of soil data derived from measurements of a soil characteristic sensor and weather data derived from measurements of a weather sensor; obtaining respective location data associated with corresponding environmental measurements; determining an estimated performance characteristic for a particular crop planted in the geographic region based on the obtained environmental measurements and respective location data; establishing contours of one or more uniform performance areas with generally uniform performance characteristic within the geographic region by applying a decision-tree analysis to the obtained environmental measurements; and determining a yield as the performance characteristic of the particular crop of a particular grower within a corresponding contour and; characterizing the yield of the particular crop of the particular grower as conforming or nonconforming with respect to the particular contour.