# Manage Crop Calendar

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.