If you have specific questions about CropManage that are not answered in the help section, then check if a similar question has been answered below. If you still cannot find a satisfactory answer to your CropManage question, please send your inquiries to mdcahn@ucanr.edu.
Ranch
How do I export data from a ranch or specific planting?
How do I review plantings (crops) from the previous year?
Select the “view all plantings” button at the bottom of the planting summary page
Do I need to create a new ranch each year?
No, there is no need to create a new ranch each year. In fact, this will clutter up your ranch view and create confusion. Simply add new plantings to the same ranch. Active plantings can be viewed when you open the ranch view. Past plantings can be viewed by selecting “all plantings”
Plantings
I am growing a tree or multi-year crop. How do I set the start the end dates of the planting?
Each year, the crop needs to have a start and end date. CropManage uses these dates to estimate the canopy development and N uptake. The start date can be January 1 for evergreen crops or the date that leaves emerge (leaf-out date) or the crop begins growing. The end date can be the last day of the year or when leaves senesce or fall off, or the crop goes dormant.
Instead of reentering the planting information each year, you can copy the planting from last year and update information such as leaf-out date or age of the crop.
I cannot see the events that I added to the planting. Where are they?
By default, the planting card displays upcoming events. Click on the tab for past events to see events that were previously recorded. You can also view events in the calendar, list, and table views which are an option at the lower right-hand corner of the planting card.
Can I change the rainfall data for an individual planting?
Yes. Select the chart icon in the upper left corner of the planting card, or hover the mouse cursor over the planting and right-click the mouse button. Select “rainfall data.” Rainfall data for the planting is displayed in monthly increments. Scroll left or right to the month of interest. The most left column displays the rainfall values currently used for the planting. These values can be edited. The columns to the right display the rainfall data for CIMIS stations associated with the ranch. Do not forget to select “update rainfall” at the bottom of the page to save the new values.
Which crops does CropManage support?
CropManage supports vegetable, berry, tree, and agronomic crops. Because CropManage was developed originally for vegetables, any more vegetable commodities than tree, berry, and agronomic crops are supported.
Vegetable commodities supported include: Artichoke, Brussels sprout, baby greens, broccoli, carrot, cilantro, chicory (escarole, endive), cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, Napa cabbage, pepper, and tomato
Berry commodities currently supported include: strawberry, raspberry
Tree commodities currently supported include: almond, pistachio, and walnut
Agronomic commodities currently supported: alfalfa, corn (maize)
We are continuing to add new commodities as we receive requests from users and develop reliable decision support models.
I do not see the commodity that I grow in CropManage. Can I use another one that is similar?
Yes, this is a reasonable way to use CropManage if the commodity that you grow is not available. For example if you want to use CropManage for irrigation scheduling in pasture or hay you could adapt the alfalfa model. You may need to readjust the canopy curve or adjust some of the planting settings. Similarly, if you grow a tree crop that is not available in CropManage you could adapt one of the available tree crops. If you have questions on how to make some of these adjustments send a message though the feedback link or to mdcahn@ucanr.edu
What are favorite plantings?
You can set a planting as a “favorite” so that you can quickly navigate to it by selecting favorite plantings within the ranch view. There are 2 ways to designate a planting as a “favorite”
1. From the ranch view, hover your mouse over a planting and right-click on your mouse. You should see a menu open. At the bottom of the menu select “Favorite Planting.”
2. Open the planting summary card from ranch view and select the star in the upper left-hand corner of the planting card.
Soil Samples
Can I add soil analysis values for nutrients other than nitrogen?
Yes; although CropManage was originally design for N management, other nutrient values can be entered into the soil sample summary table. On the “new soil sample” entry sheet, select “show more nutrients” to enter values for soil potassium, phosphorus, and other nutrients.
Can I add more than one soil sample for the same day?
Yes; however, CropManage will average the values for the same date and depths for the nitrogen fertilizer recommendation.
Can I enter sample values for depths different than 1 and 2 feet?
Cropmanage presently does not allow values deeper than 2 feet to be entered, nor allow the depths to be customized to intervals different than 1 foot increments (0 to 6 inches, 6 to 12 inches).
Can I add soil samples values for different depths?
You can add soil sample values for the 1 and 2 foot depths. You will first need to enter the value for the 1 foot depth and then add a new sample for the 2 foot depth.
Why is the value for the soil nitrate quick test about half of the number that I entered?
The nitrate value that you entered for the soil nitrate quick test should be in units of ppm Nitrate (NO3). This value must be converted to ppm Nitrate-N in dry soil using a factor based on the bulk density and moisture content of the soil. For most soils, the factor is close to 2. Further information about the soil nitrate quick test can be found on the Salinas Valley Agriculture Blog
When entering a nitrate quick test value into CropManage, which units should I use?
The Mquant nitrate test strips are calibrated in ppm NO3-N and NO3. Please enter the reading units of ppm Nitrate (NO3).
Irrigation
The recommended irrigation time seems wrong. What should I check?
- Check that the value for the irrigation system application rate is accurate. Each planting starts with a default value of 0.15 inches per hour that the user must modify for the conditions of the actual planting. A calculator tool is provided on the planting setup page to estimate the application rate of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems in units of “inches per hour.”
- Check that the previous irrigation date is entered for the planting. CropManage needs the date to estimate crop water use since the previous irrigation.
- Check that the estimated canopy cover value in the irrigation table reflects conditions in the field. Adjustments of the canopy cover can be made by changing the crop end date or selecting “advanced settings,” and changing the maximum canopy cover value or the fraction of the crop cycle to reach maximum canopy.
- Check that the reference ET value is accurate. Sometimes a reference ET value from spatial Cimis or a specific station is not available or is wrong. CIMIS has quality control measures in place that alerts staff when values are out of range or missing. Staff will update CIMIS reference ET if they identify errors. Selecting “refresh weather data” may reload the correct value. You can also check the average reference ET for the period between the last and next irrigation dates directly on the CIMIS website.
Fertilizer
What should the fertilizer application interval be for my last fertilizer application?
The “days to the next fertilization event” should be longer than interval between the final fertilizer date and the end of the crop (harvest). For example, if the last N side-dress application is 3 weeks before harvest, then the interval should be longer than 3 weeks.
The recommended N amount seems wrong, What should I check?
- Check that the “days to the next fertilization event” are accurate. Each new fertilization event has a default value of 10 days that must be modified by the user to reflect the actual fertilizer application interval. A vegetable field that receives 2 sidedress applications may have a fertilizer interval in the range of 12 to 15 days while a field fertigated through the drip system may have an interval of 5 to 7 days.
- Check that the soil nitrate value seems reasonable. If the value is unusually high or low then you may want to resample the soil. Sampling immediately after a nitrogen fertilizer application may result in a high value.
- Check that the maximum N uptake amount for the crop is reasonable. This value can be modified in the planting summary page.
- Check that the start and end dates of the crop are accurate. The N uptake curve for the planting is affected by the planting and end crop dates.
How is the nitrate in well water used in cropmanage?
CropManage can account for nitrate in well water when calculating the nitrogen fertilizer recommendation. CropManage estimates how much nitrogen is applied based on the volume of water applied (inches) and the concentration of N (Nitrate-N) in the irrigation water. The formula for estimating N applied in irrigation water is: lbs N/acre = inches of applied water x N concentration of the water (ppm) x 0.227
Login and Privacy
Can someone besides the ranch owner change the ranch information (CIMIS station, fertilizer list, well nitrate)?
The ranch owner or a ranch member with “ranch edit” permission (privileges) can change ranch information in CropManage. If you do not have ranch edit privileges, you will need to communicate with the ranch owner to request changes to the ranch.
What should I do if I forget my password or username?
Your username is the same as your email address and cannot be changed once registered in CropManage. If you forget your password, select “forgot password” below the login button. A form with your email address, which should be the same as your username, should be displayed. If no address is displayed, then enter the email address where you want to receive the temporary password and click on the button entitled “Receive email to access CropManage website.” After receiving and opening the email from CropManage, click on the hyperlink, which should automatically log you in to CropManage. Once logged on, immediately select “Edit Profile” and change your temporary password to your preferred password.
I am having trouble logging on, what should I do?
If you are experiencing problems logging into CropManage, it could be related to the settings on your browser. Here are a few steps that you may help narrow down the cause of your problem
- Make sure that you clicked on the link in the email that was sent to you the first time that you set up your CropManage userid. This is a required procedure to verify that you are an actual person. If you do not click on the link, the email address (userid) will not be validated.
- Try logging on to CropManage using a different browser. Take care to enter the exact username and password information. If you are successful in logging on then the problem is probably linked to your browser settings.
- Make sure that “cookies” are enabled in your browser. CropManage requires that cookies are enabled for login.
- Choose the option to “clear cookies” so that the wrong password or username is not automatically entered into CropManage each time that you logon.
- If you still cannot logon after following all of the above steps, then contact the web administrator.
I was supposed to receive an email to verify my CropManage account but I cannot find it. What do I do?
You will need to go to the email account that you entered for your CropManage login credentials. If the email is not in your inbox, then check your junk mail, or spam folders. Open the email message and click on the link to verify your account
Miscellaneous
Does CropManage have an API (application programming interface)
Yes, CropManage supports an API so that it can communicate with other websites. Documentation for the CropManage API is located at:
How do I view the charts on my smartphone?
You need to turn your smartphone into a horizontal orientation to view the charts
I cannot see the summary of applied water and nitrogen at the bottom of the table view
Depending on the screen size of your device, the summary of applied water, rainfall, and nitrogen fertilizer at the bottom of the planting table may be truncated. Try adjusting the zoom on your browser to less than 100%, and it should become viewable.