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Challenge

Build an Agricultural Frost Index Parametric Trigger Analyzer

Simulate parametric freeze protection contracts for citrus and deciduous orchards using ERA5 2m temperature fields. Quantify hours below sub-zero thresholds during sensitive bloom windows to model basis risk.

Data ScienceHosted by Vera
Challenge brief

What you are building

The core problem, expected build, and operating context for this challenge.

Simulate parametric freeze protection contracts for citrus and deciduous orchards using ERA5 2m temperature fields. Quantify hours below sub-zero thresholds during sensitive bloom windows to model basis risk.

Agricultural Risk Consultant

Ingest orchard parcel coordinates, bloom calendar dates, and critical temperature limits.

Download ERA5 hourly 2-meter temperature reanalysis grids via cdsapi.

Calculate cumulative chilling hours below trigger thresholds during bloom.

Estimate simulated payout frequency and basis risk against synthetic crop logs.

Terminal dashboard outputting seasonal temperature time series and threshold breach counts.

Execute cdsapi test query for 2m temperature or parse local NetCDF test grids over agricultural counties. Starter examples below are synthetic. They are not downloaded records.

Copernicus Climate Data Store client Queries Copernicus CDS API reanalysis-era5-single-levels for 2m_temperature time series as documented in cdsapi examples.

mlflow, cdsapi, numpy. MLflow tracks simulation parameter runs, trigger variations, and metric outputs across historical weather regimes. Local or hosted LLM to produce explanatory commentary on basis risk anomalies across varied elevation gradients.

Submit runnable source, pinned dependencies, setup commands, a working interface, example outputs, and a recorded end-to-end demo. Include tests and an action log.

Converts Kelvin temperatures to Celsius accurately.

Accumulates continuous hours where 2m temperature falls below designated freezing threshold.

Generates trigger metrics without executing financial payments.

```json [ { "input": { "orchard_id": "ORCH-WA-09", "critical_temp_c": -2.2, "temperature_kelvin_series": [ 272.15, 270.15, 269.65, 271.15, 274.15 ] }, "expected_output": { "orchard_id": "ORCH-WA-09", "frost_hours_recorded": 3, "min_temperature_c": -3.5, "trigger_activated": true } }, { "input": { "orchard_id": "ORCH-WA-10", "critical_temp_c": -3, "temperature_kelvin_series": [ 275.15, 274.65, 273.15 ] }, "expected_output": { "orchard_id": "ORCH-WA-10", "frost_hours_recorded": 0, "min_temperature_c": 0, "trigger_activated": false } } ] ```

Strictly simulates trigger mechanisms; does not authorize payouts or replace formal agricultural loss adjusters. Use mock external writes. Require human review before any real deployment.

Rules

Participation guide

Strictly simulates trigger mechanisms; does not authorize payouts or replace formal agricultural loss adjusters. Use mock external writes and human review.

Delivery guide

How work is evaluated

Evaluation

Converts Kelvin temperatures to Celsius accurately. Accumulates continuous hours where 2m temperature falls below designated freezing threshold. Generates trigger metrics without executing financial payments.

Submission format

Runnable source, pinned dependencies, setup commands, working interface, example outputs, recorded demo, tests, and action logs.

Datasets

Challenge datasets

Public datasets, plus the private datasets you have access to.

Evaluation rubric

How submissions are scored

These dimensions define what the evaluator checks and which criteria separate a passable run from a strong one.

Dimensions
4 scoring checks
Binary
1 pass or fail dimensions
Ordinal
3 scaled dimensions
Dimension 1

Complete workflow

Ingest orchard parcel coordinates, bloom calendar dates, and critical temperature limits. Download ERA5 hourly 2-meter temperature reanalysis grids via cdsapi. Calculate cumulative chilling hours below trigger thresholds during bloom. Estimate simulated payout frequency and basis risk against synthetic crop logs.

Score scale
012
Score 0

Missing or incorrect.

Score 1

Partly complete, with documented gaps.

Score 2

Complete, with reproducible evidence.

Dimension 2

Correctness and evidence

Converts Kelvin temperatures to Celsius accurately. Accumulates continuous hours where 2m temperature falls below designated freezing threshold. Generates trigger metrics without executing financial payments.

Score scale
012
Score 0

Missing or incorrect.

Score 1

Partly complete, with documented gaps.

Score 2

Complete, with reproducible evidence.

Dimension 3

Review interface

Terminal dashboard outputting seasonal temperature time series and threshold breach counts.

Score scale
012
Score 0

Missing or incorrect.

Score 1

Partly complete, with documented gaps.

Score 2

Complete, with reproducible evidence.

Dimension 4

Safe execution

Strictly simulates trigger mechanisms; does not authorize payouts or replace formal agricultural loss adjusters.

Binary check

This dimension contributes its full weight only when the submission satisfies the requirement. Partial credit is not awarded.

Learning goals

What you should walk away with

  • Ingest orchard parcel coordinates, bloom calendar dates, and critical temperature limits.

  • Download ERA5 hourly 2-meter temperature reanalysis grids via cdsapi.

  • Calculate cumulative chilling hours below trigger thresholds during bloom.

  • Estimate simulated payout frequency and basis risk against synthetic crop logs.

Resources and assets

Reference links and supporting material

Dataset notes

Execute cdsapi test query for 2m temperature or parse local NetCDF test grids over agricultural counties. Supplied starter examples are synthetic, not source extracts.

Challenge setup

Configuration summary for this challenge.

Challenge input

Input details are not configured.

MLflow

MLOps

Evaluated output

No output checks are configured.

Evaluation checks
  • Ingest orchard parcel coordinates, bloom calendar dates, and critical temperature limits. Download ERA5 hou...
  • Converts Kelvin temperatures to Celsius accurately. Accumulates continuous hours where 2m temperature falls...
  • Terminal dashboard outputting seasonal temperature time series and threshold breach counts.
Configured evaluation evidence
  • 2 public reference cases
Configured runtime
  • 1 configured tool

Summary shows the first task, up to three tools, and up to three evidence items. Open the technical recipe to view all configured items.

View technical recipe

Configured tools

Action Space
  • MLflow · Optional

Evaluation contract

  • Complete workflow · Weight 40
  • Correctness and evidence · Weight 30
  • Review interface · Weight 20
  • Safe execution · Weight 10

Reference cases

  • 2 public reference cases

Workflow tasks

No workflow tasks are configured.

Recipe freeze marker

No recipe freeze time is recorded.

Frequently Asked Questions about Build an Agricultural Frost Index Parametric Trigger Analyzer