Keep field identity, location, area and seasonal records consistent so the same land can be compared across seasons.
Finding a field and knowing what happened there this season are separate tasks. A useful record connects stable parcel information with the crop, operations and harvest that change each year.
1. Give every parcel a clear identity
A name such as “the big field” may become ambiguous when staff or tenants change. Keep the familiar name but add a unique farm parcel code. Store the locality and any existing official parcel references separately.
- Unique code and recognizable field name
- Location and access notes
- Area value and unit
- Ownership or rental details
- Irrigation and other operational notes
2. Separate a location pin from a boundary
A map pin helps locate the field. It does not by itself describe its boundary or area. The entrance can be different from the field centre, so say what the marker represents.
Record the source of any drawn boundary or calculated area. A phone-based map record should not be treated as an official cadastral document. Its operational purpose is to help the team find the same place and attach work to the right parcel.
3. Keep area units visible
Choose consistent units rather than mixing hectares, decares and square metres without labels. One hectare equals 10 decares or 10,000 m²; one decare equals 1,000 m².
A harvest of 10,000 kg from a recorded 25-decare field gives 400 kg/decare, which is the same as 4,000 kg/hectare. Retaining the unit makes the comparison understandable.
4. Open a new season for the same parcel
Do not create a second parcel identity just because a new season begins. Link the new crop and season to the existing parcel. Date the planting, operations, irrigation, labour and harvest records.
For machinery, labour or rental expenses shared by several fields, write down the allocation method. Switching from area-based allocation to machine hours changes the basis of the comparison.
5. Review before closing the season
Start with a parcel inventory, then add the current season. Review Tarliva's crop-growing solution and parcel limits to choose the scope of your setup.
- Keep harvested quantities separate from sold quantities.
- Check that an invoice has not been counted in both shared and parcel costs.
- Verify that the location refers to the correct field.
- Explain changes in area or crop.
