Manage Crop Calendar

Configure growth stages, GDD thresholds, and phenological timing for each field

The Crop Calendar (Phenological Calendar) is where you manage and fine-tune the growth stages for your crop. Carbonleap automatically generates an initial calendar using 10 years of hyperlocal weather history and crop-specific phenology models. This calendar predicts when key developmental stages will occur throughout the season.

You can review, adjust, or override any stage based on your observations.

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What the Crop Calendar Controls

The Crop Calendar is used throughout Carbonleap to:

• Identify the current growth stage of your crop

• Forecast upcoming stages based on GDD accumulation

• Power alerts that depend on crop sensitivity (e.g., water deficit, heat stress)

• Improve AI recommendations

• Contextualize vegetation metrics (NDVI, NDMI, MSAVI, NDRE)

• Anchor the phenology chart shown in Monitor Farm

This makes the Crop Calendar a foundational part of field-level modeling.

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Overview of the Calendar Management Screen

At the top of the screen, you see high-level field and crop information including:

• Crop type (e.g., Grape)

• Variety (e.g., A4)

• Location

• Field name

• Acreage

You also see:

• Season Start Date

• Season End Date

• GDD accumulated today

• GDD forecast for +2 days

• Current Stage

• Upcoming Stage

These inform where your crop sits in the overall phenological timeline.

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Configuring the Crop Calendar

The Crop Calendar includes two main configuration areas:

1. Season-level GDD parameters

2. Individual growth stages

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1. Season-Level Parameters

These define how GDD (Growing Degree Days) are calculated for the entire crop cycle.

You can configure:

GDD Accumulation Start Date

The date when degree-day calculations begin. Example: 04/01/2026

GDD Accumulation End Date

The date when the accumulation window ends. Example: 10/31/2026

Base Temperature (°F)

Temperature below which growth is assumed to stop. Example: 10°F

Saturation Temperature (°F)

Temperature above which additional heat does not accelerate development. Example: 35°F

These parameters influence how stages advance and how fast the crop moves through transitions.

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2. Configuring Growth Stages

Each stage includes the following components:

GDD Threshold

The accumulated degree-days required to reach the stage. Example:

• Bud Break → 15 GDD

• Flowering → 220 GDD

• Harvest → 1600 GDD

This threshold is what Carbonleap uses to identify stage transitions in real time.

Actual Start Date (Optional)

If you observed the stage happening earlier or later in the field, you can record the actual date. Entering this value helps refine:

• Calendar accuracy

• Growth progression modeling

• Alert sensitivity

Transition Windows (Historical Ranges)

Each stage shows:

• Beginning of Transition Window

• End of Transition Window

• Average Transition Date

These are based on 10-year historical analysis and give you realistic expectations of when the stage typically occurs.

Example Stages (Grapes)

• Bud Break

• Shoot Growth

• Flowering

• Fruit Set

• Veraison

• Ripening

• Harvest

• Leaf Senescence

• Dormancy

Every crop calendar may have different stages depending on the crop type.

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Adding or Modifying Stages

You may:

• Edit any existing stage

• Adjust GDD thresholds

• Enter actual dates

• Remove stages (future capability)

• Add new stages using + Add Stage

This allows customization for different varieties, regions, and growing strategies.

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Save or Cancel Changes

At the bottom of the page:

• Save Changes applies your adjustments

• Cancel discards them

Changes are applied immediately to:

• Phenological charts

• Current and upcoming stage indicators

• Alerts based on growth stage

• Weather-informed recommendations

• Vegetation interpretation

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When to Update the Crop Calendar

You may want to update the calendar when:

• Actual field observations differ from predictions

• Crop variety behaves differently than expected

• You want to refine alerts to be more stage-accurate

• Weather abnormality shifts seasonal timing

Keeping the calendar updated improves system intelligence across the entire farm.

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Summary

The Crop Calendar is a powerful configuration tool that allows you to:

• Understand crop development

• Predict upcoming growth events

• Align operations and scouting

• Improve alert precision

• Tailor Carbonleap to your local conditions

Accurate phenology is essential for maximizing the value of Carbonleap’s weather, satellite, and agronomic models.