DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR SELECTING SEED VARIETIES AND FORECASTING AN OPTIMUM PLANTING TIME AND WINDOW FOR THE PLANTING OF SAID SEED

Abstract

A device is disclosed herein, said device for determining whether a day is suitable for planting a seed on a plot of land, said device comprising a microprocessor programmed to: (a) select at least one electronic data source containing meteorological data and/or soil temperature for the plot of land by a method comprising: (a1) determining the location of the plot of land; and (a2) selecting a data source providing local weather forecasting services and/or soil data services for the location of the plot of land; (b) electronically receive from the at least one electronic data source: (b1) meteorological data for the plot of land comprising a high surface air temperature and a low surface air temperature for each of the plurality of consecutive days; and (b2) at least one soil temperature for each of the plurality of consecutive days; and (c) select an alpha day within the plurality of consecutive days and determine whether it is suitable for planting the seed based on the meteorological data, the soil temperature, and a species of seed to be planted.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/644,075, filed on May 8, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices, systems, and methods for selecting seed varieties and predicting an optimal time for planting the seed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many plants are sensitive to a number of environmental factors, including atmospheric and soil temperature, which is particularly acute at the early stages of plant development. As such, planting seeds too early can often lead to loss of young plants, requiring reseeding and thereby increasing expense and time expended for planting, reducing yield, and potentially delaying delivery of crops to market. It therefore is important that a farmer be reasonably certain that the seed is planted at a time when the risk of early plant damage can be avoided. This is especially important for cold-sensitive plants, such as cotton.

For many plants, the criteria for when a seed should be planted to avoid loss due to environmental conditions are well known. For example, the growth cycle of cotton has been well studied and the effect of various environmental factors on the stages of development is well understood. See, for example, Robertson et al., Cotton Physiology Today, Vol 13, No. 1, pages 1-5 (April 2007); and Robertson et al., Cot on Physiology Today, Vol 13, No. 2, pages 1-5 (May 2007). For example, cotton seeds require five consecutive days after planting with low temperatures above 50° F., mid-morning soil temperature at 68° F. or higher, and an accumulated DD60 value of 25 or greater for acceptable results.

However, the calculations often involve cumbersome mathematical formulas that are not easily understood by the layperson. Moreover, current systems for determining optimal planting times often omit critical factors or do not use up to date and accurate information.

A DD60 accumulation calculation program is available from the University of Arkansas. However, the program relies on 30 year norm temperatures to calculate future DD60 accumulations, which is of little relevance to predicting actual DD60 accumulations in the future. Moreover, the program does not have any way to integrate other relevant data in the report, such as soil temperature, ground saturation, and predicted precipitation. The program also requires the user to pick a planting date from which to calculate the DD60 accumulations, thereby necessitating either that several reports be generated or that individual five day DD60s be extrapolated by hand from a single report. For at least these reasons, the University of Arkansas program is of limited utility in predicting a best day on which to plant a seed.

The University of California further provides an online “Cotton Planting Forecast”, which provides DD60 data for a limited number of locations over only the next 5 day period. However, the “Cotton Planting Forecast” does not have any options to customize the forecast for a specific location and does not incorporate either soil data or the minimum air temperature over the next five days into the calculation. For at least these reasons, the University of California program is of limited utility in predicting a best day on which to plant a seed.

It therefore would be valuable to have an automated device and method of determining the optimal timeframe in which a given seed variety may be planted that minimizes the measurements and calculations required by the farmer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A device is disclosed herein, said device for determining whether a day is suitable for planting a seed on a plot of land, said device comprising a microprocessor programmed to: (a) select at least one electronic data source containing meteorological data and/or soil temperature for the plot of land by a method comprising: (a1) determining the location of the plot of land; and (a2) selecting a data source providing local weather forecasting services and/or soil data services for the location of the plot of land; (b) electronically receive from the at least one electronic data source: (b1) meteorological data for the plot of land comprising a high surface air temperature and a low surface air temperature for each of the plurality of consecutive days; and (b2) at least one soil temperature for each of the plurality of consecutive days; and (c) select an alpha day within the plurality of consecutive days and determine whether it is suitable for planting the seed based on the meteorological data, the soil temperature, and a species of seed to be planted.

In another aspect, a system is provided comprising a device comprising a microprocessor as described herein operably linked to at least one component selected from the group consisting of: (a) a data source comprising meteorological data; (b) a data source comprising soil data; (c) a display device for displaying: (c1) a graphical interface as described herein, and/or (c2) a graphical representation as described herein; and (d) a data input device as described herein.

In another aspect, a computer-based method of predicting an optimal time to plant a seed is provided, said method comprising providing a device comprising a microprocessor as described herein, wherein said device: (a) obtains meteorological data for each of a plurality of consecutive days, wherein the meteorological data comprises at least one high surface air temperature and at least one low surface air temperature for each day of the plurality of consecutive days; (b) obtains soil data for a plot of land on which the seeds are to be planted, wherein the soil data comprises at least one temperature at least at one time point within the plurality of consecutive days; and (c) applies the meteorological data and the soil data to an algorithm for determining whether a time period within the plurality of days is suitable to plant a species of seed on the plot of land.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a tabular data display for reporting whether a given day is suitable for planting

FIG. 2A is an exemplary flow chart showing compilation and organization of data for use with an application. A. A server collects GML files for the next five days from the National Weather Service and soil CSV files from the West Texas Mesonet and North Carolina Mesonet. B. If current day soil temperatures are unavailable, previous day's data is used. C. The GML files are converted to a single shapefile, the CSV files are converted to XLS format, and the shapefile is updated with soil temperature data from each mesonet area. D. A map service is generated from the collected data using a GIS model builder. E. The map service is communicated to an application in communication with the server.

FIG. 2B is an exemplary flow chart demonstrating acquisition and analysis of compiled data. A. A user accesses a program hosted locally on a user device, such as a desktop computer, or a mobile device, such as a tablet computer. The program hosted locally then communicates relevant user information (such as the location of the user and any data entered by the user) to a program for calculating a planting forecast. B. The program for calculating the planting forecast matches location data provided by the user device with a shapefile overlapping the location data, extracts the associated surface air temperature data and soil temperature data from the shape file and/or the data provided by the user, and calculates the planting forecast using an appropriate algorithm. C. A graphical representation of the planting forecast, such as that shown at FIG. 1, is then displayed on a display device operably linked to the user device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Devices, systems, and methods are provided for calculating whether a day is suitable for planting a seed on a plot of land, wherein a microprocessor determines the location of the plot of land, automatically compiles meteorological data and/or soil data associated with the plot of land, and automatically deteituines whether the day is suitable for planting the seed based on the species of seed and the compiled meteorological data and/or soil data.

In an aspect, a device is provided comprising a microprocessor programmed to determining whether a day is suitable for planting a seed on a plot of land, said device comprising a microprocessor programmed to: (a) determining the location of the plot of land; (b) electronically receive: (b1) meteorological data comprising at least a high surface air temperature and a low surface air temperature for the location of the plot of land for each of the plurality of consecutive days; and (b2) at least one soil temperature for the location of the plot of land for at least one of the plurality of consecutive days; and (c) select an alpha day within the plurality of consecutive days and determine whether it is suitable for planting the seed based on the meteorological data, the soil temperature, and a species of seed to be planted.

By way of example and not limitation, the species of seed may be selected from cotton, soybean, corn, rice, wheat, and canola.

In another aspect, the seed may be a specific variety. By way of example and not limitation, a cotton variety may be selected from the various FIBERMAX™ varieties provided by Bayer CropScience LP (Research Triangle Park, NC), such as variety numbers FM 1944GLB2, FM 2989GLB2, FM 2011GT, FM 9250GL, FM 2484B2F; and the various STONEVILLE™ varieties provided by Bayer CropScience LP (Research Triangle Park, NC), such as variety numbers ST 4145LLB2, ST 5445LLB2, ST 5458B2RF, ST 5288B2F and ST 4288B2F.

As used herein, the phrase “meteorological data” refers to any data used in analyzing and predicting the weather in a specific location. By way of example and not limitation, meteorological data includes surface air temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and precipitation. In an aspect, the meteorological data may comprise both actually measured data and forecasted meteorological data. For example, the meteorological data gathered by the microprocessor may comprise a mixture of actually measured and predicted high and low surface air temperatures and predicted high and low surface air temperatures. In another aspect, actual high and low surface air temperatures are collected for all days of the plurality of consecutive days for which actual readings are available, while predicted high and low temperatures are collected for any days for which actual high and low temperatures are unavailable. In an aspect, the predicted meteorological data is based at least in part on current atmospheric conditions.

As used herein, the phrase “soil data” refers to any data regarding the suitability of soil for planting a seed. By way of example and not limitation, soil data may comprise soil temperature, pH, moisture content, and/or nutrient content. Methods of measuring soil data are well known to a person or ordinary skill in the art.

In an aspect, the soil data comprises a soil temperature. Many services presently exist that provide soil temperatures, such as: the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) maintained by the Natural Resources Conservation Service; The Oklahoma Mesonet; the North Central River Forecast Center maintained by the National Weather Service. It is further contemplated that soil temperature may be directly measured on the plot of land on which the seed will be planted. For example, it is contemplated that a thermometer may be implanted on the plot of land on which the seed is to be planted. The soil temperature may then be read and manually entered into the device. In a further contemplated embodiment, the device may be configured to automatically collect actual soil temperatures for the plot of land by electronically communicating with the thermometer implanted on the plot of land or a representative of the land in which the seed is to be planted.

In an aspect, the microprocessor is configured to provide the user with an option to select the depth at which the soil temperature data is collected. For example, the user may be provided with the option to select one of a plurality of depths which is an acceptable standard for the determining the minimum soil temperature for the selected seed. The microprocessor may then adjust the acceptable minimum soil temperature based on the depth at which the reading is taken. As one example, soil temperatures are commonly measured for cotton seeds at a depth of 2″, which corresponds to the approximate planting depth, or at a depth of 6″, which corresponds to the approximate rooting depth. At 2″, the minimum acceptable temperature is approximately 68° F. at mid-morning. At 6″, the minimum acceptable temperature is approximately 60° F. at mid-morning. The microprocessor may be programmed as correlations between soil temperatures recorded at other depths become acceptable standards.

In an aspect, the microprocessor may be programmed to display, on a display device, a graphical interface comprising at least one data entry field. In an aspect, soil and/or seed data may be entered via the graphical interface generated by the microprocessor. In another aspect, a data entry field for entering the soil temperature data, the species of the seed to be planted, and/or the variety of seed to be planted may be provided. In a further aspect, the graphical interface may comprise a data entry field for entering data regarding the plot of land on which the seed is to be planted, including but not limited to: the address and/or ZIP code; map coordinates and/or global positioning system coordinates; geographic features of the land, such as the presence of lakes, ponds, or streams, altitude relative to sea level; and meteorological data specific for the plot of land, such as actual surface air temperature readings for the plot of land on which the seed is to be planted. In a further aspect, the graphical interface provides an option to select one of a plurality of data sources from which to obtain the meteorological data.

In an aspect, the graphical interface may provide at least one data entry field relevant to selecting a particular variety of seed to plant on the plot of land. As would be well understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art, most species of plant have a large number of different varieties that are optimized for particular conditions. In an aspect, the graphical interface may have a data entry screen for selecting particular characteristics of seed to optimize. The microprocessor may then access a database comprising different seed varieties having the indicated characteristics and determine which meets the requirements specified by the user. By way of example and not limitation, the conditions may be selected from the group consisting of: tolerance to pesticides; resistance to drought; suitability for specific soil types. In another aspect, the graphical interface may have a data entry screen for entering various characteristics of the plot of land on which the seed is to be planted, which the microprocessor may then use to calculate a variety of seed which is optimal for planting on the plot of land. By way of example and not limitation, the characteristics may be selected from: location of the land, such as by State and County, GPS coordinates, ZIP code, and/or map coordinates; pesticides used on the land; whether the land is irrigated; type of soil on the land; types and concentrations of pests found on the land, etc.

In an aspect, the microprocessor is adapted to communicate electronically with a source of actual and/or predicted meteorological and/or soil data, such as that available from national, regional, and local meteorological and agricultural services. In an aspect, the microprocessor is adapted to deteiniine the location of the plot of land, find the closest electronically available data source to the plot of land, and automatically import actual and forecasted meteorological and/or soil data from that data source. By way example and not limitation, the data source may be a mesonet.

In an aspect, the device is configured to automatically compile the meterological and soil data based on the location of the plot of land. For example, if the device is located near the plot of land or is portable, the device may comprise a present location apparatus, such as a receiver adapted to electronically communicate with a satellite-based navigation system (such as a global positioning system), or a radio transceiver adapted to electronically communicate with a cellular network. Alternatively, the device may be configured to electronically communicate with a separate device comprising such a present location apparatus located on or near the plot of land. In such an example, the microprocessor may use data collected from the satellite-based navigation system or the cellular network to determine the location of the plot of land, which may be used to select an electronic data source that provides local weather forecasting services and/or soil data services for the location determined by the microprocessor.

In an aspect, the computer processor determines an optimal seed variety to plant based on at least one characteristic of the plot of land selected from the group consisting of soil cation exchange capacity; soil texture; soil salinity; soil pH; soil nutrient level; pests and/or diseases associated with the land; crop residue level; irrigation level, capacity, and/or type; and/or any other factor which a person would consider important to selecting a variety of seed.

In an aspect, the computer processor determines an optimal seed variety to plant based on at least one seed treatment selected by the user, wherein the seed treatment is a chemical and/or biological pesticide treatment and/or a safener treatment. In an aspect, the computer processor determines an optimal seed variety to plant based on at least one seed variety characteristic selected by the user, the variety characteristics selected from maturity and a trait technology package, such as herbicide tolerance, insect tolerance, water use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, morphological characteristics, and end use quality traits, such as fiber quality or nutrient content.

Once the meteorological and soil data is gathered and, if appropriate, the seed type is selected, the microprocessor then uses the meteorological data and soil data to determine the suitability of an alpha day for planting the seed that has been selected. As used herein, the phrase “alpha day” shall refer to a day for which the determination is to be performed. In an aspect, the alpha day may be disposed within a plurality of consecutive days. In an exemplary aspect, the alpha day may be the first day of a five day period.

In an aspect, the microprocessor may be programmed to select one of several formulae for determining the suitability of planting a seed, based on a species of seed selected by the user. For example, the growing degree days formula (“GDD”) is applied to a variety of different plant types to determine an optimal day for planting seeds. The GDD formula is shown below as Formula I:

$\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{GDD}=\frac{\left(T_{\max }+T_{\min }\right)}{2}-T_{\mathrm{base}}& I\end{array}$

wherein T_max refers to the maximum surface air temperature for a day; T_min refers to the minimum surface air temperature for a dayΣand T_base refers to a base temperature commonly used for a given seed type. The GDD value is indicative of the total accumulated heat units above the base temperature for that particular day. A sum of the GDD values for a plurality of consecutive days (Σ_GDD) may then be calculated and evaluated to determine whether they exceed a predefined Σ_GDD threshold set by the microprocessor for the seed being planted. As one example, a GDD using a base temperature of 60° F. (referred to as the DD60 foimula) is commonly used to determine when to plant cotton seeds. Σ_GDD thresholds using other T_bases are well-known for numerous plants, and many more are expected to be developed in the future.

In an aspect, the seed is a cotton seed and the microprocessor is programmed to calculate an accumulated Σ_GDD for at least a subset of the plurality of days using a T_base of 60. In another aspect, the microprocessor calculates a Σ_GDD for at least a portion of the plurality of days by a method comprising: (a) selecting an alpha day; (b) calculating the Σ_GDD for a period of 5 consecutive days including and following the alpha day using a T_base of 60; and (c) assigning the Σ_GDD value to the alpha day. The Σ_GDD value is then ranked by the microprocessor according to how suitable that period is for planting the seed that is selected. The process may be repeated for other 5 day periods among the plurality of days.

In a further aspect, the microprocessor may be programmed to have predetermined thresholds for other variables, such as minimum or maximum surface air temperatures, minimum or maximum soil temperatures, or minimum or maximum precipitation levels. If a day or plurality of clays has a variable that does not meet these thresholds, the day is determined not to be suitable for planting. For example, cotton seeds are known to be sensitive to cold. As such, lower limits for soil temperature and/or surface air temperature may be set, and the microprocessor is programmed to indicate that a day is not suitable for planting a cotton seed if the surface air temperature and/or soil temperature does not fall below those thresholds. Exemplary thresholds for cotton could include: (1) the accumulated DD60 assigned to that day exceeds 25; (2) the low temperature over the five day period beginning with that day exceeds 50° F.; and (3) the mid-morning soil temperature at a 2″ planting depth is at least 68° F. for each day among the five day period beginning on that day.

In an aspect, the microprocessor is Further programmed to generate a graphical representation indicating whether the time frame is predicted to be suitable for planting the species of seed to be planted. By way of example and not limitation, the graphical representation may be a calendar view. In an aspect, the calendar may comprise a plurality of days color-coded with the suitability of that particular day for planting. By way of example and not limitation, three different color codes may be provided, corresponding to “Poor”, “Marginal”, and “Good” planting forecast. In another example, five color codes may be provided, corresponding to “Very Poor”, “Poor”, “Marginal”, “Good”, and “Very Good” planting forecast. Other examples of appropriate indications of suitability may be applied as desired. In another aspect, the calendar may comprise a plurality of days, coded with text indicating the suitability of that day for planting. For example, a given calendar day may contain the phrase “Poor”, “Marginal”, or “Good” as an indication of suitability for planting. As another example, a given calendar day may contain the phrase “Very Poor”, “Poor”, “Marginal”, “Good”, or “Very Good” as an indication of suitability for planting. In a further aspect, a calendar day having a “Very Poor”, “Poor”, “Marginal”, or other designation indicating a day is not suitable may further comprise a graphical or textual representation for why the day is not suitable. For example, the day may contain text indicating “Soil temperature too low”, “GDD below threshold”, “Minimum surface air temperature too low”, or other explanation for why planting should not begin on that day. As another example, the day may be color-coded or pattern-coded with such an indication.

In another aspect, the graphical representation of the results may comprise a tabular data display for a particular day, comprising a textual and/or graphical representation of all data relied on in making the determination regarding the suitability of the day for planting. An exemplary tabular display is depicted at FIG. 1. By way of example and not limitation, the Tabular display may comprise a color-coded and/or textual indication of the soil temperature, surface air temperature, accumulated temperature above a threshold (such as DD50 or DD60 calculations); and/or overall planting forecast. In a further aspect, the tabular display may comprise graphical and/or textual indications of maximum or minimum thresholds for any of the factors considered in the calculation.

In an aspect, the microprocessor may be programmed to electronically communicate with a printer, which then prints the graphical representation of the results. In another aspect, the microprocessor is programmed to electronically communicate with a display device, on which the graphical representation of the results is displayed.

In an aspect, the device may comprise: (a) a microprocessor as described herein; and (b) means for electronically communicating with at least one of the following: (b 1) a display device, such as: a computer monitor, television, PDA (such as a cellular phone, smartphone, tablet computer, or other handheld device with a screen), touch screen display, or other means of electronically displaying images; (b2) a data input device, such as: a keyboard, touch screen display, or a mouse; (b3) a data source comprising the meteorological data and/or soil data. By way of example and not limitation, the means for electronically communicating may be a modem or a device for communicating with a wireless or cellular network.

In another aspect, the device may be a smartphone or tablet computer.

In another aspect, a system for determining whether a time frame in the future is suitable for planting a seed is provided, the system comprising a device comprising a microprocessor as described herein operably linked to at least one component selected from: (a) a data source comprising the meteorological data; (b) a data source comprising the soil data; (c) a display device for displaying: (c1) a graphical interface as described herein, and/or (c2) a graphical representation as described herein; and (d) a data input device as described herein. In a further aspect, the display device of the system is disposed in a computer system.

In another aspect, a computer-based method of predicting an optimal time to plant a seed, said method comprising providing a device or system as described herein, wherein said device or system: (a) obtains meteorological data for each of a plurality of consecutive days, wherein the meteorological data comprises at least one high surface air temperature and at least one low surface air temperature for each day of the plurality of consecutive days; (b) obtains soil data for a plot of land on which the seeds are to be planted, wherein the soil data comprises at least one temperature at least at one time point within the plurality of consecutive days; and (c) applies the meteorological data and the soil data to an algorithm for determining whether a time period within the plurality of clays is suitable to plant a species of seed on the plot of land.

EXAMPLES

A system is provided comprising a computer or mobile device (such as a tablet computer or smartphone) and a network of servers programmed to determine the location of the computer or mobile device, accumulate data from a mesonet most closely associated with the location of the tablet computer, and determine whether a day is suitable for planting cotton seeds.

A representative flow chart is displayed herein at FIG. 2, demonstrating gathering and processing of the surface air temperature and soil temperature data. A first server collects GML files for the next five days from the National Weather Service and soil CSV files from the West Texas Mesonet (maintained by Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Tex.)) and the North Carolina Mesonet (maintained by the State Climate Office of North Carolina and North Carolina State University (Raleigh, N.C.)). The GML files are converted to a single shapefile. The CSV files are converted to XLS format and the shapefile is updated with soil temperature data from each mesonet area. A map service is generated from the collected data using a GIS model builder, comprising seven map layers. The layers are set forth below in Table 1:

TABLE 1
Name	Constant?	Description
Mesonet Stations	Yes	Point shapefile displaying the
		location of Mesonet stations
Counties	Yes	Polygon shapefile displaying the
		locations of county boundaries
Major Cities	Yes	Point shapefile displaying locations
		of major cities
Cities	Yes	Point shapefile displaying locations
		of smaller towns that is updated with
		the same information as the
		NWSGridwTemps layer each time
		the GIS model is run. This layer can
		be used in a tabular forecast webpage.
Planting Forecast	Yes	Polygon shapefile displaying where
Coverage		air and soil conditions are available
NWS Forecast	Yes	Polygon shapefile displaying areas
Coverage		where the NWS air and DD60
		conditions are available
NWS Grids with	No	Polygon shapefile that is updated each
Air and Soil		time the GIS model is run. When this
Temperatures and		shapefile is queried in the application
conditions		it displays the cotton planting forecast
		on the screen.

The server network further hosts applications for converting the map service to a prediction for whether a given day is suitable for planting the seed.

The portion of the server network hosting this service may have the following additional programs installed: an Internet Information Services program; a program for editing and recompiling the application, such as Adobe FlashBuilder 4.0 or Microsoft Expressions, Frontpage, or Apptona (for mobile applications); data visualization applications, such as FusionCharts; a mapping program, such as ArcGIS API for Flex (ESRI, Redlands, Calif.).

Separate applications are provided, depending on whether the server network is accessed using a computer or a mobile device. If the network is accessed with a computer, all seven layers are accessed. If accessed by a mobile device, only the layer comprising NWS Grids with Air and Soil Temperatures and conditions is accessed. In either case, the application matches location data provided by the computer or mobile device (such as GPS information provided by a tablet computer) with a shapefile overlapping the location data, extracts the associated surface air temperature data and soil temperature data, and calculates a Σ_GDD for the 5 day forecast using a T_base of 60° F. Limit alerts are set to classify the day as having a very poor outlook for planting if the low surface air temperature falls below 50° F. for any day in the five day forecast or if the mid-morning soil temperature on the day of measurement is below 68° F. at a 2″ measurement depth, or below 60° F. at 6″ measurement depth. Further limit alerts are set at Σ_GDD threshold values of 10, l 5, 25, and 50. If the Σ_GDD is 10 or less, the day is classified as having a very poor outlook for planting. If the Σ_GDD is greater than 10, but not more than 15, the day is classified as a poor outlook for planting. If the Σ_GDD is greater than 15, but not more than 25, the day is classified as having a marginal outlook for planting. If the Σ_GDD is greater than 25, but not more than 50, the day is classified as having a good outlook for planting. If the Σ_GDD is greater than 50, the day is classified as having a very good outlook for planting.

A report is then generated and transmitted to the computer or mobile device. An exemplary report is displayed at FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A device for determining whether a day is suitable for planting a seed on a plot of land, said device comprising a microprocessor programmed to:

(a) determine the location of the plot of land; and

(b) electronically receive: (b1) meteorological data comprising at least a high surface air temperature and a low surface air temperature for the location of the plot of land for each of a plurality of consecutive days; and (b2) at least one soil temperature for the location of the plot of land for at least one of the plurality of consecutive days; and

(c) select an alpha day within the plurality of consecutive days and determine whether it is suitable for planting the seed based on the meteorological data, the soil temperature, and a species of seed to be planted.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to automatically determine the location of the plot of land by receiving location data from a device located on or near the plot of land.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the device located on or near the plot of land comprises a component of a satellite-based navigation system or a cellular network.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to determine the location of the plot of land based on location data entered by a user.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to direct a wireless communication device or modem to obtain the high surface air temperature, the low surface air temperature, and/or the soil temperature from an electronic data source.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the electronic data source comprises data from a plurality of mesonet sites.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to obtain the data from the mesonet site that is most closest representative of the location of the plot of land.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to generate a graphical interface comprising at least one data entry field.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the graphical interface comprises a data entry field for entering the soil temperature data.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the graphical interface comprises a data entry field for selecting the species of the seed to be planted.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the graphical interface further comprises a data entry field to select a variety of the species of seed selected.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to determine whether the alpha day is suitable for planting the seed by a method comprising: G   D   D = ( T max + T min ) 2 - T base, ( I )

(c1) determining a GDD value for each of a predetermined number of consecutive days following the alpha day, according to Formula I:

wherein Tmax refers to the actual or predicted high surface air temperature for a day; Tmin refers to the actual or predicted low surface air temperature for a day; and Tbase refers to a base temperature associated with the species of seed to be planted; and calculating the sum of GDD values over the predefined period of consecutive days (ΣGDD), wherein the alpha day is determined to not be suitable for planting the seed when EGDD does not exceed a predefined GDD threshold;

(c2) optionally, determining the soil temperature for the alpha day, wherein the alpha day is determined to not be suitable for planting the seed when the soil temperature falls below a predefined soil temperature threshold; and

(c3) optionally, determining the minimum surface air temperature for each day of the predefined period of consecutive days, wherein the alpha day is determined to not be suitable for planting the seed when the minimum surface air temperature falls below a predefined minimum surface air temperature threshold for any day of the predetermined number of consecutive days.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein:

(c4) the alpha day is determined to be suitable for planting the seed if: the ΣGDD exceeds the predefined GDD threshold; the soil temperature meets or exceeds the soil temperature threshold for the alpha day; and the surface air temperature meets or exceeds the surface air temperature threshold for each day of the predefined period of consecutive days.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the seed is a cotton seed.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to generate a graphical representation indicating whether the alpha day is predicted to be suitable for planting the species of seed to be planted.

16. A system for determining whether a day is suitable for planting a seed, the system comprising a device of claim 1, operably linked to the electronic data source.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a computer system operably linked to the device, the computer system comprising a display and a data input device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer system is a mobile unit, wherein the mobile unit comprises a display and a component of a satellite-based navigation system or a cellular network adapted to communicate data regarding the location of the mobile unit to the device.

19. The system of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein said device is adapted to generate on the display: (a) a graphical interface according to.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a user interface for entering soil temperature data, selecting the species of seed to be planted, and/or selecting the variety of seed to be planted.

21. A computer-based method of predicting an optimal day to plant a seed, said method comprising providing the device of claim 1, wherein said device:

(a) obtains meteorological data for each of a plurality of consecutive days, wherein the meteorological data comprises at least one high surface air temperature and at least one low surface air temperature for each day of the plurality of consecutive days;

(b) obtains soil data for a plot of land on which the seeds are to be planted, wherein the soil data comprises at least at one temperature at least at one time point within the plurality of consecutive days; and

(c) applies the meteorological data and the soil data to an algorithm for determining whether a time period within the plurality of days is suitable to plant a species of seed on the plot of land.

22. A method of planting a cotton seed, the method comprising:

(a) predicting an optimal time to plant a seed using the device of claim 1, wherein said device or system: (i) obtains meteorological data for each of a plurality of consecutive days, wherein the meteorological data comprises at least one high surface air temperature and at least one low surface air temperature for each day of the plurality of consecutive days; (ii) obtains soil data for a plot of land on which the seeds are to be planted, wherein the soil data comprises at least one temperature at least at one time point within the plurality of consecutive days; and (iii) applies the meteorological data and the soil data to an algorithm for determining whether a time period within the plurality of days is suitable to plant a species of seed on the plot of land; and

(b) planting the cotton seed on a day predicted by the device to be suitable for planting the seed.