The Climate Corporation

Nick Cisek

Nick Koshnick

Haitao Xiang

Xianyuan Yang

A method is provided for determining soil properties for an area of land, from soil spectrum data. In an embodiment, the method includes receiving soil spectrum data records from hyperspectral sensors that represent a mean soil spectrum of a specific geo-location of the area of land and removing interference signals from the spectrum data records to create soil spectral bands. The method also includes predicting a plurality of soil property datasets based on a partial least-square regression and the soil spectral bands and selecting specific soil property datasets from the plurality of soil property datasets to represent soil properties of the specific geo-location, wherein the specific soil property datasets include property data and spectral band data for spectral bands used to determine the property data. The specific soil property datasets may then be used to generate a crop prescription of recommended hybrid seeds or population densities for the specific geo-location.

Estimating soil properties within a field using hyperspectral remote sensing

A method for building and using soil models that determine soil properties from soil spectrum data is provided. In an embodiment, building soil model may be accomplished using soil spectrum data received via hyperspectral sensors from a land unit. A processor updates the soil spectrum data by removing interference signals from the soil spectrum data. Multiple ground sampling locations within the land unit are then determined based on the updated soil spectrum data. Soil property data are obtained from ground sampling at the ground sampling locations. Soil models that correlate the updated soil spectrum data with the soil property data are created based on the updated soil spectrum data and the soil property data. The soil models are sent to a storage for future use.

A method for estimating soil properties within a field using hyperspectral remotely sensed data is provided. In an embodiment, estimating soil properties may be accomplished using a server computer system that receives, via a network, soil spectrum data records that are used to predict soil properties for a specific geo-location. Within the server computer system a soil preprocessing module receives one or more soil spectrum data records that represent a mean soil spectrum of a specific geo-location of a specified area of land. The soil preprocessing module then removes interference signals from the soil spectrum data, creating a set of one or more spectral bands. By removing interference signals, the spectral bands are not erroneously skewed from effects such as baseline drift, particle deviation, and surface heterogeneity. A soil regression module inputs the one or more soil spectral bands and predicts soil property datasets. The soil property datasets include specific soil properties relevant to determining fertility of the soil or soil property levels that may influence soil management at a specific geo-location. The soil regression module then takes the multiple soil property datasets and selects multiple specific soil property datasets that best represent the existing soil properties. Included in the soil property datasets are the multiple soil properties predicted and the spectral band data used to determine the specific soil properties. The soil regression module sends this predicted data to a soil model database.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Nick Cisek