Why are plant records so important?

Plant records can provide valuable information about the history of the crop, including planting dates, harvest dates, seed variety, fertilisation used, and weather conditions. When conducting a crop audit, it is important to gather accurate and detailed information about Plant records and yields, and recording the data in farm management software. 

Why collect Plant records?

The data collected can reveal trends and patterns, such as areas of the field with higher or lower yields, or sections of the field that are more susceptible to pests or diseases. The Plant records are also usually required by supermarkets, so they know 100% where the crop has been, and what treatment has been done to it. 

Plant records data 

The first step is to sow the seeds; documenting how much seed is used, and what date they were planted. You need to know how much seed is used, in order to calculate the crop costings. There is normally a ratio of seeds used per hectare, which farm management software calculates for you. The date of planting is crucial, as you need to know when they expected harvest date is. Certain crops, like baby leaf, only have a short window to be harvested.  

Cropping input 

The type of fertiliser you use needs to be documented for your traceability commitments. Supermarkets have to know what chemicals were used, to make sure they are safe for sale. Some chemicals will require a withholding period (WHP), also known as a harvest interval. This is due to certain fertilisers and chemicals being extremely harmful. You may come across an issue with a crop, but if you use the correct chemicals to fix the problem, you may need to extend your harvest date. You will need to make a judgement call as to whether or not it is necessary.   

Irrigation use 

Irrigation is used in lieu of needed rain water. Keeping your crops well-watered prevents them from being stressed, and stunting their growth. You need to time when you irrigate your crops, as e-coli exists in the soil. When the soil is watered, the e-coli can rise to the surface. If the plants are watered too close to the estimated harvest date, you will need to add harvest interval days, in order for the e-coli to dissipate. 

How Can LiveFarmer help with plant records?

Each and every plant harvest will have a different issues effecting their yield. The best way to mitigate issues, and learn from previous harvests, is to keep accurate and up-to-date Plant records. LiveFarmer makes its so every data input automatically links to the specific harvest, so you can compare all data for the Plant records.