Patent ID: 8335653

Claim:
A plant stand management evaluator system in communication with a remote user terminal via a communications network, the system comprising: a computer including a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including a plurality of computer program code instructions for execution by the processor, the plurality of computer program code instructions including the steps of: receiving input data from a user, the input data representative of at least parameter 1) and parameter 2) of management parameters in the group consisting of: 1) a total plant population in a selected sampling sub-area, 2) a spacing of an individual plant relative to a nearest adjacent plant in the sampling sub-area, the majority of plants spaced-apart for optimal yield potential via a benchmark spacing for each plant in the sampling sub-area, a minority of plants spaced too closely relative to the benchmark spacing within the sampling sub-area such that two or more too closely spaced plants within the sampling sub-area result in a 50 percent or greater loss in yield potential per too closely spaced plant, and 3) a maturity of the individual plant relative to the nearest adjacent plant in the sampling sub-area; calculating a predicted net effective plant population according to the expression: NEPP=[( TP i −Σ( n si *s i +n mi *m i ))/ TP i ]*(BPP) wherein: NEPP is the predicted net effective plant population; (i) represents an identifier of the sampling sub-area, where the (TP i ) represents the total number of plants in the sampling sub-area, (n si ) represents a number of plants in sampling having a spacing relative to the nearest neighboring plant that differs from the benchmark spacing, (s i ) represents a predicted deduction factor in yield dependent on spacing, (n mi ) represents number of plants in the sampling sub-area within a predetermined maturity below a benchmark maturity, (m i ) represents a predicted deduction factor in yield dependent on maturity; and BPP is a benchmark plant population; and generating a display indicative of the predicted net effective plant population to the user.