JP7311146B2 - Field management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a farm field management system, a drone, a spraying device, a water management system, and a farm field management method.

Fertilizers sprayed in fields are taken up by plants to promote their growth, but the absorption by plants may not be efficiently carried out depending on the conditions of the field. Therefore, there is a need for a farm field management system that can determine whether or not fertilizer can be applied according to the state of the field, and that allows the fertilizer to be efficiently absorbed by the plants.

Patent Document 1 discloses an aircraft for supporting agricultural work, which is equipped with a growth rate measuring unit for measuring the growth rate of crops. A flying vehicle is disclosed that disperses a larger amount of fertilizer in a lower area.

Patent Document 2 discloses a hydroponics method in which a solution in which fertilizer is dissolved is circulated between a cultivation tank in which crops are arranged and a solution tank, and the water level is arbitrarily adjusted according to the growth of the roots of the crops. It is

Patent Document 3 discloses a system that provides moisture and nutrients corresponding to the length of the root of a plant.

Patent Publication JP 2019-121144 Patent publication publication JP 2011-177130 Utility Model Registration No. 3192016

To provide a field management system capable of efficiently absorbing manure into plants.

In order to achieve the above object, an agricultural field management system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an agricultural field measuring unit that measures the condition of an agricultural field, and a decision to apply fertilizer to the agricultural field based on the condition of the agricultural field. A spraying management unit and a result output unit for displaying a determination result of the spraying management unit on a display unit or transmitting the result to a spraying control unit for controlling spraying.

The state of the farm field includes the water depth of the farm field, and the spray management unit permits the fertilizer to be sprayed when the water depth is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the fertilizer is sprayed when the water depth is greater than the predetermined value. may be prohibited.

The state of the farm field includes the water content of the farm field, the spraying management unit permits the implementation of fertilizer spraying when the water content of the farm field is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the water depth is greater than a predetermined value. In some cases, the implementation of fertilizer application may be prohibited.

The farm field measurement unit measures at least one of water depth of the farm field and an amount of drainage from the farm field after the fertilizer is applied. An absorption amount estimating unit that estimates the absorption amount of the fertilizer in the plant, and a top-dressing management unit that determines whether or not to perform top-dressing by spraying the fertilizer again based on the absorption amount. good.

The top dressing management unit may determine the top dressing amount based on the absorption amount.

The agricultural field may be a paddy field in which water is stored on the ground surface.

In order to achieve the above object, a drone according to another aspect of the present invention is a drone communicably connected to any of the result output units described above,
A spread control unit that spreads fertilizer on the field based on the decision to spread the fertilizer is provided.

The state of the farm field may include at least one of water depth and soil moisture content of the farm field.

In order to achieve the above object, a spraying device according to still another aspect of the present invention is a spraying device communicably connected to any one of the result output units described above, wherein A spread control unit that spreads fertilizer on the field based on the determination is provided.

The state of the farm field may include at least one of water depth and soil moisture content of the farm field.

In order to achieve the above object, a water management system according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a field measurement unit that measures a state of a field that changes due to at least water supply and drainage of water stored in the field; and a water amount control device for controlling the supply and drainage of water stored in the field when the state of the field does not satisfy a predetermined condition.

The state of the farm field may include at least one of water depth and soil moisture content of the farm field.

It further comprises a spreading control unit that spreads fertilizer on the field based on the decision to spread the fertilizer, and the water amount control device controls the amount of water on the field at the same time as the fertilizer is spread by the spreading control unit or after the fertilizer is spread. It is also possible to start controlling the water supply and drainage of stored water.

In order to achieve the above object, an agricultural field management method according to still another aspect of the present invention includes an agricultural field measurement step of measuring the state of the agricultural field, which changes due to at least the supply and drainage of water stored in the agricultural field; The method includes a spraying step of spraying fertilizer on a field, and a water amount control step of controlling the supply and drainage of water stored in the field based on the state of the field.

Fertilizer can be efficiently absorbed by plants.

1 is a plan view of a drone according to the present invention; FIG. It is a front view of the said drone. It is a right view of the said drone. It is a rear view of the said drone. It is a perspective view of the said drone. 1 is an overall conceptual diagram of a flight control system including the drone. FIG. It is a functional block diagram which the said drone has. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a conceptual diagram which shows the hardware configuration which the agricultural field and its periphery structure, and the agricultural field management system which concerns on this invention has. It is a functional block diagram of a drone, an operation device, and a farm field management device that the farm field management system according to the present invention has. 4 is a flow chart showing a flow in which the agricultural field management system determines whether or not fertilizer can be applied according to the water depth of the agricultural field. 4 is a flow chart showing a flow in which the farm field management system decides whether or not to apply fertilizer according to the moisture content of the soil of the farm field. It is a flowchart which shows the flow which the said agricultural field management system determines the necessity of additional fertilization according to the state of an agricultural field. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of managing the water depth of a farm field according to the state of the farm field by the water management system according to the present invention.

Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. All figures are illustrative. In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, certain details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, embodiments are not limited to these specific details. Also, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown to simplify the drawings.

First, the configuration of the drone according to the present invention will be described. In the specification of the present application, a drone refers to a power means (electric power, prime mover, etc.), a control method (wireless or wired, and whether it is an autonomous flight type or a manually operated type, etc.), It refers to an aircraft in general that has a plurality of rotor blades.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also called rotors) are: It is a means to fly the drone 100, and considering the balance of flight stability, aircraft size, and power consumption, it is equipped with 8 aircraft (4 sets of two-stage rotor blades). Each rotary wing 101 is arranged on four sides of the housing 110 by arms protruding from the housing 110 of the drone 100 . That is, rotor blades 101-1a and 101-1b are on the left rear in the direction of travel, rotor blades 101-2a and 101-2b are on the left front, rotor blades 101-3a and 101-3b are on the right rear, and rotor blades 101- on the right front. 4a and 101-4b are arranged respectively. In addition, the drone 100 makes the downward direction of the paper surface in FIG. 1 the advancing direction.

A grid-like propeller guard forming a substantially cylindrical shape is provided on the outer periphery of each set of rotor blades 101 so that the rotor blades 101 are less likely to interfere with foreign matter. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the radial members for supporting the propeller guards 115-1, 115-2, 115-3, 115-4 are not horizontal but have a turret-like structure. This is to prevent the member from interfering with the rotor by promoting the buckling of the member to the outside of the rotor blade at the time of collision.

Motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b are connected to rotors 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101- Means for rotating 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (typically an electric motor, but may be a motor, etc.), one machine provided for one rotor blade It is Motor 102 is an example of a propeller. The upper and lower rotors in one set (e.g. 101-1a and 101-1b) and their corresponding motors (e.g. 102-1a and 102-1b) are used for drone flight stability etc. The axes are collinear and rotate in opposite directions.

Four nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 are means for downwardly spraying the material to be sprayed. In the specification of the present application, the term "material to be sprayed" generally refers to liquids or powders such as pesticides, herbicides, liquid fertilizers, insecticides, seeds, and water that are sprayed on fields. Also, the material to be sprayed is, for example, a fertilizer processed into a bean grain shape having a grain size of about 5 mm, which is called a bean grain formulation. Mametsubu (registered trademark) is known as a fertilizer processed into a bean grain shape. Further, the material to be sprayed may be granules having a smaller particle size than bean granules.

The tank 104 is a tank for storing the object to be sprayed, and is provided at a position close to and lower than the center of gravity of the drone 100 from the viewpoint of weight balance. Hoses 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, 105-4 are means for connecting tank 104 and respective nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and are made of hard material. and may also serve to support the nozzle. The pump 106 is means for discharging the material to be sprayed from the nozzle.

FIG. 6 shows an overall conceptual diagram of the flight control system of the drone 100 according to the present invention. This figure is a schematic diagram and not to scale. In the figure, the drone 100, the controller 401, and the small portable terminal 401a are each connected to the base station 404, and only the controller 401 is connected to the farming cloud 405; is not limited to Drone 100, controller 401, small portable terminal 401a, and base station 404 are connected to farming cloud 405, respectively. These connections may be wireless communication by Wi-Fi, a mobile communication system, or the like, or part or all of them may be wired.

The operation device 401 transmits commands to the drone 100 by the operation of the user 402, and displays information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, storage amount of sprayed material, remaining battery level, camera image, etc.). and may be implemented by a portable information device such as a general tablet terminal that runs a computer program. The operation device 401 has an input section 4011 and a display section 4012 as a user interface device (see FIG. 8). The drone 100 according to the present invention is controlled to fly autonomously, but manual operation may be performed during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in an emergency. In addition to the portable information device, an emergency operator (not shown) having a dedicated emergency stop function may be used. The emergency operation device may be a dedicated device equipped with a large emergency stop button or the like so that a quick response can be taken in case of emergency. Furthermore, apart from the operation device 401, the system may include a small portable terminal 401a, such as a smart phone, capable of displaying part or all of the information displayed on the operation device 401. FIG. Further, it may have a function of changing the operation of the drone 100 based on information input from the small portable terminal 401a. The small portable terminal 401a is connected to a base station 404, for example, and can receive information and the like from the farming cloud 405 via the base station 404. FIG.

A field 403 is a rice field to be sprayed by the drone 100, and is a paddy field in which water is stored on the ground surface. In reality, the topography of the farm field 403 is complicated, and there are cases where a topographic map cannot be obtained in advance, or there are cases where the topographic map differs from the situation of the field. Fields 403 are usually adjacent to houses, hospitals, schools, other crop fields, roads, railroads, and the like. Moreover, there may be intruders such as buildings and electric wires in the field 403 .

The base station 404 is a device that provides a Wi-Fi communication base unit function, etc., and may also function as an RTK-GPS base station and provide an accurate position of the drone 100 (Wi-Fi Fi communication master unit function and RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices). Also, the base station 404 may be able to communicate with the farming cloud 405 using a mobile communication system such as 3G, 4G, and LTE.

The farming cloud 405 is typically a group of computers and related software operated on a cloud service, and may be wirelessly connected to the operation device 401 via a mobile phone line or the like. The farming cloud 405 may be composed of hardware devices. The farming cloud 405 may analyze the image of the field 403 captured by the drone 100, grasp the growth status of crops, and perform processing for determining the flight route. In addition, the drone 100 may be provided with topographical information and the like of the field 403 that has been saved. In addition, a history of flight and captured images of the drone 100 may be accumulated and various analysis processes may be performed.

The small portable terminal 401a is, for example, a smart phone. The display unit of the small portable terminal 401a displays information about the expected operation of the drone 100, more specifically, the scheduled time for the drone 100 to return to the departure/arrival point 406, and the work to be done by the user 402 when returning. Information such as the content is displayed as appropriate. Also, the operation of the drone 100 may be changed based on the input from the small portable terminal 401a.

Normally, the drone 100 takes off from the departure/arrival point 406 outside the field 403, and returns to the departure/arrival point 406 after spraying the material to be sprayed on the field 403 or when the material to be sprayed needs to be replenished or charged. do. The flight path (entry path) from the starting point 406 to the target field 403 may be stored in advance in the farming cloud 405 or the like, or may be input by the user 402 before starting takeoff. Landing point 406 may be a virtual point defined by coordinates stored in drone 100, or may be a physical landing pad.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram showing control functions of an embodiment of the spray drone according to the present invention. The flight controller 501 is a component that controls the entire drone, and specifically may be an embedded computer that includes a CPU, memory, related software, and the like. Flight controller 501 controls motors 102-1a and 102-1b via control means such as ESC (Electronic Speed Control) based on input information received from operation device 401 and input information obtained from various sensors described later. , 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, and 104-b, the flight of the drone 100 is controlled. The actual rotation speeds of motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, and 104-b are fed back to flight controller 501 to ensure normal rotation. It is configured to be able to monitor whether or not Alternatively, an optical sensor or the like may be provided on the rotor blade 101 and the rotation of the rotor blade 101 may be fed back to the flight controller 501 .

The software used by the flight controller 501 is rewritable through a storage medium or the like, or through communication means such as Wi-Fi communication or USB, in order to extend/change functions or correct problems. In this case, protection is provided by encryption, checksum, electronic signature, virus check software, etc. to prevent rewriting by unauthorized software. Also, part of the calculation processing used for control by the flight controller 501 may be executed by another computer existing on the operation device 401, on the farming cloud 405, or at another location. Due to the high importance of flight controller 501, some or all of its components may be duplicated.

The flight controller 501 communicates with the controller 401 via the Wi-Fi slave device function 503 and via the base station 404, receives necessary commands from the controller 401, and sends necessary information to the controller. You can send to 401. In this case, the communication may be encrypted to prevent fraudulent acts such as interception, impersonation, and device hijacking. The base station 404 also has a function of an RTK-GPS base station in addition to a Wi-Fi communication function. By combining the signals from the RTK base station and the signals from the GPS positioning satellite, the flight controller 501 can measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of several centimeters. Due to the high importance of the flight controller 501, it may be duplicated or multiplexed, and each redundant flight controller 501 should use a different satellite in order to cope with the failure of a particular GPS satellite. may be controlled.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is means for measuring the acceleration of the drone body in three mutually orthogonal directions, and is means for calculating the velocity by integrating the acceleration. The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is means for measuring changes in the attitude angle of the drone body in the three directions described above, that is, angular velocity. The geomagnetic sensor 506 is a means of determining the direction of the drone body by measuring geomagnetism. The air pressure sensor 507 is a means of measuring air pressure, and can also indirectly measure the altitude of the drone. The laser sensor 508 is means for measuring the distance between the drone body and the ground surface using reflection of laser light, and may be an IR (infrared) laser. Sonar 509 is a means of measuring the distance between the drone body and the ground using the reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected according to the drone's cost targets and performance requirements. Also, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the inclination of the airframe, a wind sensor for measuring wind force, etc. may be added. Also, these sensors may be duplicated or multiplexed. If there are multiple sensors for the same purpose, the flight controller 501 may use only one of them and switch to an alternative sensor if it fails. Alternatively, multiple sensors may be used at the same time and a failure is assumed to occur if their measurements do not match.

Flow sensors 510 are means for measuring the flow rate of the material to be sprayed, and are provided at multiple locations along the route from tank 104 to nozzle 103 . A liquid exhaustion sensor 511 is a sensor for detecting that the amount of the material to be sprayed has become equal to or less than a predetermined amount. Multispectral camera 512 is a means of photographing field 403 and acquiring data for image analysis. The intruder detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting drone intruders, and is a separate device from the multispectral camera 512 because its image characteristics and lens orientation are different from those of the multispectral camera 512 . Switch 514 is a means for user 402 of drone 100 to make various settings. The intruder contact sensor 515 is a sensor for detecting that the drone 100, especially its rotor or propeller guard portion, has come into contact with an intruder such as an electric wire, building, human body, standing tree, bird, or other drone. . Note that the intruder contact sensor 515 may be replaced by the 6-axis gyro sensor 505 . The cover sensor 516 is a sensor that detects that the operation panel of the drone 100 and the internal maintenance cover are open. A drug inlet sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the inlet of the drug tank 104 is open.

These sensors may be selected, duplicated or multiplexed depending on the drone's cost targets and performance requirements. Also, a sensor may be provided outside the drone 100 at the base station 404, the controller 401, or at another location to transmit the read information to the drone. For example, a wind sensor may be provided in the base station 404 to transmit information on wind force and wind direction to the drone 100 via Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 transmits a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the discharge amount and stop the discharge. The current status of the pump 106 (eg, number of revolutions, etc.) is configured to be fed back to the flight controller 501 .

The LED 107 is display means for informing the operator of the drone of the state of the drone. Display means such as a liquid crystal display may be used in place of or in addition to LEDs. A buzzer is an output means for informing the state of the drone (especially an error state) by means of an audio signal. A Wi-Fi slave device function 519 is an optional component for communicating with an external computer or the like for transferring software, for example, separately from the operation device 401 . In place of or in addition to the Wi-Fi slave unit function, infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), other wireless communication means such as NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection may be used. Also, instead of the Wi-Fi slave device function, it may be possible to communicate with each other by a mobile communication system such as 3G, 4G, and LTE. The speaker 520 is output means for notifying the state of the drone (especially error state) by means of recorded human voice, synthesized voice, or the like. Weather conditions can make it difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 in flight, and in such cases, audible status communication is effective. A warning light 521 is a display means such as a strobe light that indicates the state of the drone (especially an error state). These input/output means may be selected, duplicated or multiplexed according to the drone's cost targets and performance requirements.

Configuration of Field and Surroundings As shown in FIG. 8, a field 403 includes a water supply channel 901 through which water from a water source 900 flows, and water stored in the field 403 (hereinafter also referred to as "reserved water"). is connected to a drainage channel 911 through which water flows out to the channel 910 . The water supply channel 901 is provided with a water gate 902 for adjusting the amount of water flowing in, that is, the amount of water supply. In addition, the drainage channel 911 is provided with a water gate 912 for adjusting the amount of drainage. The farm field 403 is slightly vertically downwardly inclined from the water supply channel 901 to the drainage channel 911, and when the water gates 902 and 912 are opened and closed, water flows in and out according to the inclination. The floodgates 902, 912 may be valves.

At least part of the hardware configuration of the farm field management device 600 (see FIG. 9), which will be described later, is arranged in the farm field 403 . The agricultural field management device 600 includes a soil moisture sensor 920, a water depth sensor 921, a flow rate sensor 925, a second flow rate sensor 926, a sluice plate opening/closing device 931, and a second sluice plate opening/closing device 932 as a hardware configuration.

The soil water content sensor 920 is a sensor that measures the water content of the soil in the field 403 . The water depth sensor 921 is a sensor that measures the water depth of the farm field 403, and may be a suitable sensor such as a float type, tape type, or ultrasonic type. A flow sensor 925 is a sensor that is arranged in the water supply channel 901 and measures the amount of water flowing into the field 403 . The second flow rate sensor 926 is a sensor that is arranged in the drainage channel 911 and measures the amount of water that flows out from the field 403 . The soil moisture sensor 920, the water depth sensor 921, the flow rate sensor 925 and the second flow rate sensor 926 all have communication processing units capable of communicating with external devices, and each component of the field management system 1000, such as the controller 401 measurement results can be sent to

The sluice plate opening/closing device 931 and the second sluice plate opening/closing device 932 are devices that are connected to the sluice gates 902 and 912 respectively and electrically open and close the sluice gates 902 and 912 . The water gate plate opening/closing devices 931 and 932 may be composed of, for example, actuators that move the water gates constituting the water gates 902 and 912 up and down, or may be composed of motors that rotate the water gates to open the water channels. The sluice plate opening/closing devices 931 and 932 have a communication processing unit capable of communicating with an external device, and each component of the water management system 2000, for example, based on the command from the software configuration of the controller 401 or the agricultural field management device 600 to open and close the water gates 902 and 912.

Overview of Control System As shown in FIG. 9, the farm field management system 1000 is a system including, for example, a drone 100, a controller 401, and a farm field management device 600. Fertilizers to be sprayed from the drone 100 are controlled according to the state of the farm field 403. It is a control system. Each component included in the agricultural field management system 1000 is connected to each other through a network NW so as to be able to communicate with each other. Each software configuration of the agricultural field management device 600 may be configured on the farming cloud 405 . The drone 100, the operation device 401, and the agricultural field management device 600 may be wirelessly connected to each other, or may be partially or entirely connected by wire.

Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 8 is an example, and one component may include another component, and the functional unit of each component may be included in another component. . That is, each component of the agricultural field management system 1000 may be mounted in the drone 100 or may be implemented in hardware separate from the drone 100 .

The field water management system 2000 is a system that includes at least the field management device 600 and the water volume control device 700, and is a system that controls the amount of water stored in the field 403. FIG. The agricultural field management device 600 and the water volume control device 700 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other.

Functional part of the drone The drone 100 is equipped with an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing information processing, and storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). It has at least a flight control unit 1001 and a spray control unit 1002 as resources.

The flight control unit 1001 is a functional unit that operates the motor 102 and controls flight, takeoff and landing of the drone 100 . Flight control unit 1001 is realized by flight controller 501, for example. The flight control unit 1001 controls the drone 100 to fly over the field.

The spread control unit 1002 is a functional unit that operates the pump 106 and controls fertilizer spread from the nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4. The spray control unit 1002 is realized by the flight controller 501, for example.

In this embodiment, the fertilizer is sprayed onto the field by the spraying control unit 1002 of the drone 100. However, the spraying control unit is provided by a spraying device having a spraying function other than the drone 100. good too. The spraying device may be, for example, a land-based agricultural machine such as a boom sprayer, or a stationary spraying device. The spreading device spreads the fertilizer based on the decision to spread the fertilizer transmitted from the result output unit 640, which will be described later.

Functional unit of field management device As shown in Fig. 8, the field management device 600 includes an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing information processing, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). ), thereby providing at least a field measurement unit 610, an absorption estimation unit 620, a fertilizer management unit 630, and a result output unit 640 as software resources.

The farm field measurement unit 610 is a functional unit that measures an index indicating the state of the farm field. The index indicating the state of the field is at least an index that changes due to the supply and drainage of water stored in the field 403, and includes, for example, the depth of the stored water, the flow rate of the water supply and drainage, and the moisture content of the soil. The field measurement unit 610 includes functional blocks of a water depth measurement unit 611 , a water flow measurement unit 612 and a soil moisture content measurement unit 613 .

The water depth measurement unit 611 is a functional unit that acquires the water depth of the agricultural field 403 using the water depth sensor 921 . The water flow measurement unit 612 is a functional unit that acquires the amount of water flowing into the field 403 from the water supply channel 901 and the amount of water flowing out of the field 403 via the drainage channel 911 using the flow sensor 925 and the second flow sensor 926 . The soil moisture content measurement unit 613 is a functional unit that acquires the moisture content of the soil in the field 403 using the soil moisture content sensor 920 .

The absorption amount estimation unit 620 is a functional unit that estimates the amount of fertilizer absorbed by the plants growing in the field based on the state of the field. Absorption amount estimating section 620 estimates the absorption amount of the spread fertilizer before the fertilizer is spread. Also, the absorption amount estimator 620 estimates the absorption amount of the applied fertilizer based on the state of the field during and after the application.

The absorption estimation unit 620 estimates the absorption based on the water depth. The absorption amount estimating unit 620 estimates that the shallower the water depth at the time of fertilizer application, the greater the absorption amount. When the application amount per unit area is the same, the concentration of the fertilizer dissolved in water increases as the water depth becomes shallower, and decreases as the water depth becomes deeper. When the field is filled with water, the active ingredients of the fertilizer sprayed on the field dissolve in the water, are absorbed by the soil, and are incorporated into the crop through the roots of the crop. Therefore, in order to maintain a high concentration of the fertilizer dissolved in the water and increase the active ingredients of the fertilizer absorbed by the soil, it is desirable that the water depth during fertilizer application be smaller than a predetermined value. That is, it can be estimated that the shallower the water depth, the more fertilizer components permeate into the soil, and the greater the amount absorbed by plants.

The absorption amount estimating unit 620 may estimate the absorption amount based on the water depth of the field 403 in a predetermined period after fertilizer application. Fertilizers dissolve in water and gradually permeate the soil and are taken up by plants. Also, as it permeates the soil, the concentration contained in water decreases. Therefore, by estimating the amount of absorption based on the water depth during a predetermined period in which the fertilizer is dissolved in water, the amount of absorption can be estimated more accurately.

Also, the absorption amount estimating section 620 may estimate the absorption amount based on the water depth during a predetermined period from a predetermined time point after fertilizer application. Fertilizers do not dissolve in water for a certain period of time, for example several days, after application. Therefore, the absorption amount estimating unit 620 accurately estimates the absorption amount based on the water depth during the period from when the fertilizer starts dissolving or when the fertilizer has dissolved to some extent until it permeates the soil. can be estimated.

Also, the absorption amount estimating unit 620 estimates the absorption amount based on the amount of drainage from the field 403 in a predetermined period after the fertilizer application. This is because when the water in the field 403 is drained for a predetermined period after fertilizer application, the water in which the fertilizer is dissolved flows out, resulting in a lower absorption amount. The absorption amount estimating section 620 may estimate the absorption amount based on the amount of drainage in a predetermined period from a predetermined time point after fertilizer application. For example, the absorption amount estimating unit 620 may estimate the absorption amount based on the amount of drainage during a period from when the fertilizer starts dissolving or when the fertilizer has dissolved to some extent until it permeates the soil. According to this configuration, it is possible to accurately estimate the amount of absorption.

Furthermore, the absorption amount estimation unit 620 may estimate the absorption amount based on the water content contained in the soil of the field 403 . When the field is not filled with water, the active ingredients of the fertilizer applied to the field are dissolved in the water contained in the soil and taken into the crop through the roots of the crop. Here, if the soil contains little moisture and is dry, the active ingredients of the fertilizer applied to the soil surface will not reach the roots of the crops and will not be absorbed by the crops. The content is desirably larger than a predetermined value.

Note that the absorption amount estimation unit 620 determines whether or not the field 403 is filled with water based on the water depth acquired by the water depth measurement unit 611, and if the water is filled, the absorption amount is determined based on the water depth. can be estimated, and absorption can be estimated based on the moisture content of the soil when not watered. Also, when watered, a combination of water depth and soil moisture content may be used to estimate uptake.

Fertilizer management unit 630 is a functional unit that manages fertilizer application to field 403 . Fertilizer management unit 630 includes application management unit 631 and top dressing management unit 632 .

The spread management unit 631 is a functional unit that determines execution of fertilizer spread based on the state of the field 403 measured by the field measurement unit 610 on the condition that a predetermined condition is satisfied. When the field is filled with water, the spraying of fertilizer is permitted when the water depth of the water stored in the field is less than a predetermined value, and the spraying of fertilizer is prohibited when the water depth is greater than the predetermined value. When the field is not filled with water, the spraying of fertilizer is permitted when the water content of the soil of the field is equal to or higher than a prescribed value, and the spraying of fertilizer is prohibited when the water content is smaller than the prescribed value. According to this configuration, since the fertilizer can be spread when the state of the field 403 is suitable for absorption, the fertilizer can be reliably absorbed by the plants.

The application management unit 631 may decide to apply fertilizer based on the amount of absorption estimated by the absorption amount estimation unit 620 . Further, the spray management unit 631 may determine the spray amount based on the absorption amount estimated by the absorption amount estimation unit 620. FIG. For example, the application management unit 631 may decide to apply an amount larger than the specified amount when the estimated absorption amount is less than the intended absorption amount when the specified amount is applied. According to this configuration, by spreading a large amount of fertilizer in advance, it is possible to secure the amount of fertilizer to be absorbed by the plants. In addition, the frequency of additional fertilization is reduced, the number of flights of the drone 100 is reduced, and labor can be saved.

Even if the state of the field 403 does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the spraying management unit 631 decides to spray fertilizer based on the fact that the water amount control by the water amount control device 700 is started or scheduled. good too. Reserved water is supplied and drained by the inflow and discharge of water from the water source 900 according to the inclination angle of the ground. Also, the water content of soil changes as water permeates into the soil. Therefore, in the control by the water amount control device 700, it takes several days until the water depth of the field 403 and the moisture content of the soil converge to predetermined values. Therefore, during the transient response period during which the water depth and the water content of the soil are changing by the water amount control device 700, or when they are scheduled to change, the spraying management unit 631 determines execution of fertilizer spraying. Since the dissolution of the fertilizer takes several days, even if water supply and drainage are performed several days after the fertilizer is applied, there is no significant effect on the absorption amount. Taking advantage of the fact that it takes several days to dissolve the fertilizer, according to the configuration in which the fertilizer is spread before the completion of the water volume control, the fertilizer can be spread earlier than the configuration in which the fertilizer is spread after the completion of the water volume control. It can be done and does not delay the planning of agriculture.

The top-dressing management unit 632 performs top-dressing, that is, re-spreading the previously spread fertilizer based on the state of the farm field 403 measured by the farm field measurement unit 610 in the farm field 403 after the fertilizer has been spread at least once. It is the function part that decides. The additional fertilizing management unit 632 determines whether or not additional fertilization is necessary based on the water depth at the time of fertilizer application and the amount of drainage after fertilizer application. That is, the top-dressing management unit 632 determines to perform top-dressing when the water depth is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Further, the top-dressing management unit 632 decides to perform top-dressing when the amount of drainage is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. This is because, as described above, when the water depth is large and the amount of drainage is large, the concentration of fertilizer absorbed by the plants is low.

Further, the additional fertilizing management unit 632 may determine whether or not additional fertilization is necessary based on the amount of water discharged during a predetermined period from a predetermined time point after the fertilizer application. That is, the additional fertilizing management unit 632 may determine whether or not additional fertilization is necessary based on the amount of drainage during the period from when the fertilizer starts dissolving, or when the fertilizer has dissolved to some extent until it permeates the soil. The additional fertilizing management unit 632 may determine whether additional fertilization is necessary based on the amount of absorption after fertilizer application calculated by the absorption amount estimating unit 620 .

The top-dressing management unit 632 may determine the amount of top-dressing fertilizer to be applied based on at least one of the water depth and the amount of drainage after fertilizer application, or the estimated absorption amount after fertilizer application. The additional fertilizing management unit 632 determines that the greater the water depth of the field 403, the more fertilizer is to be applied. The top-dressing management unit 632 determines that more fertilizer should be applied as the amount of drainage increases. Further, the top-dressing management unit 632 determines to spread more fertilizer as the estimated absorption amount is smaller. According to this configuration, a necessary amount of top dressing can be performed appropriately.

The result output unit 640 is a functional unit that displays the determination result of the spray management unit 631 on the display unit 4012 or transmits it to the spray control unit 1002 . For example, the display unit 4012 displays whether or not fertilizer application is possible. Note that the display unit 4012 may be provided in a personal computer as well as a tablet assumed in the operation device 401. FIG. The user may examine whether or not the work plan needs to be corrected by looking at the display, or may prepare for spraying by the drone 100 . Also, the user may spread fertilizer using a spreading device other than the drone 100, which has a spreading function.

Note that the result output unit 640 may display the determination result of the top-dressing management unit 632 on the display unit 4012 or may transmit it to the sprinkling control unit 1002 .

The spraying control unit 1002 carries out spraying to the field based on the information on whether spraying can be carried out received from the result output unit 640 .

The water volume control device 700 is a device that adjusts the volume of stored water. The water amount control device 700 adjusts the amount of water in the field 403 by opening and closing the water gates 902 and 912 using the water gate plate opening/closing device 931 and the second water gate plate opening/closing device 932 shown in FIG.

The water volume control device 700 opens the water gate 912 to drain water when the water depth in the field 403 exceeds a predetermined value. The water depth may be received from the water depth measurement unit 611 of the field management device 600 via the network NW. By keeping the water depth below a predetermined level when the fertilizer is sprayed and dissolved in the pooled water, the concentration of the fertilizer contained in the pooled water can be maintained at a specified level or higher. can be maintained at a predetermined value or higher.

In addition, the water amount control device 700 increases the water supply amount as the area of the field 403 is larger.

The water amount control device 700 may determine the water supply amount based on the outside temperature, the heat transfer coefficient with the outside air, and the amount of solar radiation applied to the field 403 . Since the above parameters affect the amount of water discharged by evaporation from the field due to changes in soil temperature, the water amount control device 700 can control the amount of water supply more precisely by taking these parameters into account. Furthermore, since the amount of water in the field increases due to rain, the water amount control device 700 can also determine the amount of water supply in consideration of rainfall information.

The water quantity control device 700 may perform water supply or drainage after fertilizer application. That is, the water quantity control device 700 may start water supply or drainage after fertilizer application, or may start before fertilizer application and continue until after fertilizer application. Some granular fertilizers do not dissolve in water for a certain period of time, for example, several days, and have a slow dissolution rate. This is because even if water is supplied or drained within a predetermined period of time, the concentration of fertilizer in the field will not decrease or the fertilizer will not be discharged. According to this configuration, the fertilizer can be spread without waiting for the completion of the water volume control, so there is no delay in farm work, which is highly convenient.

The determination of fertilizer application by the application management unit 631, the start and end of the water amount control by the water amount control device 700, and the execution of the fertilizer application by the drone 100 may be performed in random order within a predetermined range of time, and may be performed simultaneously. According to this configuration, fertilizer application can be planned flexibly regardless of the time required for controlling the amount of water.

● Flowchart for Determining Execution of Initial Sprinkling When the field 403 is filled with water, as shown in FIG. 10, first, the state of the field 403 is measured by the field measurement unit 610 (S11). Next, the fertilizer management unit 630 determines whether or not the water depth of the farm field 403 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (S12). When the water depth is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the fertilizer management unit 630 decides to spray fertilizer on the field 403 (S13). When the water depth of field 403 is not equal to or less than the predetermined value, fertilizer management unit 630 determines not to apply fertilizer at that time (S14). As shown in this flowchart, when the water depth of the field is less than or equal to a predetermined value, fertilizer is applied, and when the water depth of the field is less than or equal to the predetermined value, fertilizer is not applied. can be maintained at a predetermined value or more, the rate at which the active ingredients of the fertilizer are absorbed by plants can be improved.

Also, as shown in FIG. 11, the state of the field 403 is measured (S21), and it is determined whether or not the moisture content of the soil of the field 403 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (S22). When the moisture content of the soil is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the fertilizer management unit 630 decides to apply fertilizer to the field 403 (S23). When the soil moisture content of the field 403 is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the fertilizer management unit 630 determines not to spread fertilizer at that time (S24). As shown in this flowchart, when the water content of the soil is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, fertilizer is applied, and when the water content of the soil is lower than the predetermined value, fertilizer is not applied. Since the penetrating fertilizer concentration can be maintained at a predetermined value or more, the rate at which the active ingredients of the fertilizer are absorbed by the plants can be improved.

In steps S13, S14, S23 and S24, the determined contents may be notified to the user via a user interface device such as the operation device 401. FIG.

In step S22, the fertilizer management unit 630 determines both the water depth and the water content of the soil, and decides to apply fertilizer when the water depth is equal to or less than a predetermined value and the water content of the soil is equal to or more than a predetermined value. may decide. The fertilizer manager 630 may decide to apply fertilizer when the water depth is less than or equal to a predetermined value, or when the moisture content of the soil is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

According to this configuration, since the fertilizer can be spread when the state of the field 403 is suitable for absorption, the fertilizer can be reliably absorbed by the plants.

Flowchart for Determining Additional Fertilization According to Field Condition As shown in FIG. 12, first, the condition of the field 403 is measured by the field measurement unit 610 (S31). When the water depth at the time of the previous application of the considered fertilizer exceeds a predetermined value (S32), or when the amount of drainage in a predetermined period after the application of the fertilizer exceeds a predetermined value (S33), the top-dressing management unit 632 A decision is made to apply additional fertilizer (additional fertilizer) (S34). When the water depth and the amount of drainage for a predetermined period are equal to or less than a predetermined value, the top-dressing management unit 632 decides not to top-dress (S35).

●Flowchart for Controlling Water Depth of Field As shown in FIG. 13, first, the state of the field 403 is measured by the field measurement unit 610 (S41). When the water depth is equal to or less than the predetermined value (S42), the fertilizer management unit 630 decides to apply fertilizer (S43). The drone 100 or other spreading device then spreads fertilizer (S44).

When the water depth is not equal to or less than the predetermined value in step S42, the fertilizer management unit 630 decides to apply fertilizer (S45). Next, the drone 100 or the spreading device spreads fertilizer (S46). Next, the water amount control device 700 starts draining the field 403 (S47). Note that steps S46 and S47 may be performed in any order within a predetermined period, and may be performed at the same time. The predetermined period is the period from when the fertilizer is sprayed until it dissolves in the water in the field 403, for example, the period until the concentration of the fertilizer in the water in the field 403 reaches a predetermined concentration.

According to such a configuration, fertilizer can be spread even before water volume control is completed, so fertilizer spreading can be planned flexibly regardless of the time required for water volume control.

In this explanation, an agricultural drone for the purpose of spraying fertilizer was explained as an example, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to any system including machines that operate autonomously. It is possible. For example, it can be applied to a system that spreads fertilizer by a machine that runs autonomously on the ground.

(Technically Remarkable Effects of the Present Invention)
In the field management system according to the present invention, fertilizer can be efficiently absorbed by plants.

Claims (6)

a field measurement unit that measures the state of the field;
a spraying management unit that determines the implementation of fertilizer spraying to the field based on the state of the field;
The decision result of the spray management departmentA spraying device for spraying the fertilizer on the fielda result output unit for transmission;
equipped with, the farm field is a paddy field in which water is stored on the ground surface, and a farm field management system for spraying the fertilizer independently of control of the amount of water stored in the farm field,
The spray management unit refers to the water depth of the field as the state of the field when the paddy field is filled with water, and when the water depth is equal to or less than a predetermined value, permits the execution of fertilizer spraying. prohibits the implementation of fertilizer application when is greater than a predetermined value,
When the paddy field is not filled with water, the spraying management unit refers to the water content of the soil of the field as the state of the field, and when the water content is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the fertilizer is sprayed. permitting implementation and prohibiting implementation of fertilizer application when the moisture content of the field is less than a predetermined value;
Field management system.
The spraying device is a drone that sprays the fertilizer from above the field,
The agricultural field management system according to claim 1.
communicably connected to a water volume control device that adjusts the volume of water in the field;
The spraying management unit determines the implementation of the fertilizer spraying by the spraying device based on the fact that the water quantity control of the field by the water quantity control device is started or scheduled.
The agricultural field management system according to claim 1 or 2.
The agricultural field measurement unit has a water depth measurement unit that acquires the water depth of the agricultural field,
The agricultural field management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein it is determined whether or not the agricultural field is filled with water based on the water depth.
In a field after the fertilizer has been sprayed at least once, if the paddy field is filled with water, a top-dressing management unit that determines to perform top-dressing by re-spraying the previously-spread fertilizer based on the water depth. further comprising
The additional fertilizing management unit decides to perform additional fertilization by the spraying device when the water depth during the fertilizer application is a predetermined amount or more, or when the drainage amount after the fertilizer application is a predetermined amount or more.
The agricultural field management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The additional fertilization management unit determines whether or not additional fertilization is necessary based on the amount of wastewater in a period from a predetermined time after the fertilizer is applied until the fertilizer permeates the soil.
The field management system according to claim 5.

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