Fields

Setting up Fields must be done from the Hub. The Field file is designed to hold the information about each grower's individual field. If a Field is farmed and sampled in more than one section, it is recommended that each section be entered as a separate Field.

A Field must be defined before any Field maps or Plans are created for it.

Fields can also be used in a generic sense representing hog barns, feed lots, etc. for Customers who deal with feed, as well as vehicles for shops providing oil changes, tire rotations, etc. Another common use is to have them represent Billing Split Arrangements if the true acre Fields are not being utilized/tracked. For example, if two Customers have a split arrangement of 50/50, the Field file could be utilized with the split arrangement set accordingly. If any of the Agvance Precision products have been purchased or there is a Plan to purchase in the future (Mapping, Planning, Blending, or Grain), actual Fields should be established.

Profile

The Field Profile holds the general information about the Field such as the Customer and Field legal description.

Customer ID – Enter the primary Grower’s Customer ID by double-clicking in the box to display the Select Customers list. Each Field must have a valid Customer that exists in the Customer file.
More Info – If a Customer ID is filled out, this displays the Customer Profile screen from which anything may be edited. If a Customer ID is not filled out, then add a customer.
Field ID – Enter a Field ID up to eight characters long. Several special characters are not allowed including (& ' * / \ – |) as well as spaces. It is acceptable to use the same Field ID for several Growers, but a single Grower’s Fields must all have unique Field IDs. In other words, several Growers might have Fields with the ID North40 but a single Grower may only have one North40 field. It is suggested to establish a pattern, perhaps utilizing a portion of the landlord's name (i.e. Smith_W1, Smith001).
Description – Use a common description which the Grower might use to distinguish this Field from others. Examples would be 40 north of the barn or North of creek at home place. This description of the Field appears in various places depending on the Agvance modules utilized. It is included in the heading of maps, printed on Field Plans and Blend Tickets, and optionally prints on Invoices.
Address/City/State/Zip – Enter the address information for the Field.
Farm ID – If a Grower has only one Farm on file, the Farm ID defaults here. If the Grower has more than one Farm on file, optionally double-click to select Farm associated with this Field. After the Farm is selected a message displays asking if the Farm splits should be applied to this Field.
Billable Acres – Enter the tillable acreage.
Location – Indicate which company Location services this Field.
County – Double-click to select the county where the Field is located.
Township/Range/Section(s) – Enter the legal location of the Field.
Comments/Directions – This space serves two functions. It holds general notes about the Field and informal directions to the Field.
Latitude/Longitude/Map – Lat/lon values populate if the Field data is geocoded. Map may be selected to manually geocode the Field, select a new location for the Field, or view a map of the current Field.
Soil Type – Optionally double-click in this Field to display and select the Soil Type that best describes this Field. This is strictly informational and is not used in any nutrient recommendation calculations at this time.
Hint: Double-clicking in the Customer ID or Soil Type box displays a window from which to choose.
Soil Class – Indicate which description listed below most closely describes the Soil Type in this field. This may be left blank if no nutrient recs will be generated from the Agvance Planning module. The Soil Class rating is necessary if creating lime nutrient recommendations in the Agvance Field Planning module.
- Definition of Soil Classes:
  - A Dark-colored silty clays and silty clay loams
  - B Light and medium colored silty clays and silty clay loams; dark-colored silt and clay loams
  - C Light and medium colored silt and clay loams; dark and medium colored loams; dark-colored sandy loams
  - D Light-colored loams; light and medium-colored sandy loams; sands
  - E Muck and Peat
HUC 12 – This defaults in if the Field is geo-referenced for the water shed program.
Agrian Site ID – When linking Fields between Agrian and Agvance, enter the Agrian Site ID here.
Agrian Site Name – When linking Fields between Agrian and Agvance, enter the Agrian Site Name here.
Attributes – Use this to add an Attribute for this field. Attributes are set up at Hub / Setup / Company Preferences on the Field tab.
Inactive – Select this option to mark the Field as inactive. Inactive Fields are not available to enter on transactions.
Field Cross References – There are four optional inputs to help identify this Field to other computer systems or numbering schemes. The headings for these cross references are set up at Setup / Company Preferences on the Fields tab.
Attachments – Select to add an attachment. The option displays in red if there is an attachment. Attachment names are validated to prevent invalid characters.
Field Notes – This option allows four additional Field Note areas to be defined to record seasonal information such as seed/planting data, crop scouting notes, tillage methods, etc. This data may be archived with other seasonal information at the end of the crop year. These notes optionally print with maps as a footer if designated in the map legend.
Note: The headings for these field notes are user-definable and are set up at Setup / Company Preferences on the Field tab.
Classifications – Optionally select Classifications for this Field.
Season – This controls the Field data that displays. Archived seasons are available and Field data may be viewed by selecting any season. The Profile window information is not archived but the Samples, Test Results, Nutrient Recs, Budget, History, and Field Notes are all archived. For more information on Archiving Field Data see Archive Field Data / Seasons.

Samples

This screen is a combination of imported data and optional manually entered data. It holds details about sample locations including geo-referencing latitude/longitudes.

# of Samples – Indicate the number of soil samples taken in this field. This is automatically filled out if test results from the lab are imported.
Prev. Crop – Select the previous crop from the existing crop list.
Prev. Yield – Enter the average yield for the previous crop.
Next Crop 1 & Next Yield 1 – Select the next crop to be grown on this field from the existing crop list. Enter the yield goal for that crop.
Next Crop 2 & Next Yield 2 – Optionally add this crop after Next Crop 1. This can be used by the nutrient recommendation function in the Agvance Planning module to fertilize for two years rather than one.
Geographic Data – Optionally record the distance between sample points.
Sample Grid
- Samp ID – Samples are numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. Assign a Sample ID to each numerical point by typing the ID into this column. It defaults to the sample number.
- Zone – Define Zones of the Field and treat these Zones differently. This is done through the Agvance Planning Nutrient Recommendation area. When Zones are defined, they are saved back to this grid.
- Soil Type – This is used only if treating various Zones of the Field differently. Double-click within this column to display the existing Soil Types from which to choose. Additional Soil Types may be added at Setup / Soil Types.
  Hint: Double-clicking in the Soil Type or Crop columns bring up selection options to choose the desired soil or crop.
- Crop – This is used only if treating various Zones of the Field differently. Double-click within this column to display the existing crops from which to choose. Additional crops may be added at Setup / Crop Maintenance.
- Yld Goal – If generating nutrient recommendations by sample location, the yield goals entered for each sample point at the Agvance Planning Nutrient Recommendation window is saved here. Most commonly, Next Yield 1 entered above will be the yield goal for the entire field; in which case this column would hold the same figure for all sample points.
- Yield – Enter a yield average manually. However, if importing yield data from a yield monitor equipped with GPS, it may be automatically saved by doing the following. Using the Mapping / Yield / Average Selected Sites window, and averaging the data within the sample area. The yield within each sample location is then recorded automatically in this column.
- Moisture – If using a yield monitor, average the moisture within each sample area and save back to the field as described in the Yield above.
- Elevation – If elevation data is collected and an elevation map is created averaging the values within sample areas, those values may be saved back to this column.
- Profit – Optionally enter a profit for each sample. This would generate a gridded profit map.

Test Results

Although test results may be typed in, they are most commonly imported from the lab. Importing results reduces the chance of error. The Results screen scrolls to the right to display all possible test results including one user-defined result. The user-defined result is identified by entering any one- or two-character IDs at Setup / Location Preferences.

Last Tested – As soil test data is imported at Transfers / Import / Soil Tests, a date is entered that is saved with the sample data. That date displays here. It is archived with the test result data for informational purposes when viewing archived season data.
CEC Calculation Method – Select Method A or Method B as the method to be used to calculate the CEC.
Calc CEC – This option causes the CEC column to calculate (or recalculate if there are already values stored in this column) based on the following formula, which is used by Method A.
Method A:
- X = k/780 + mg/240 + ca/400
- PH Factor = 1 – ((7-phw) * .2)
  Note: PH Factor is set to 1 if phw > 7 or phw = 0
CEC =X / PH factor
Note: If CEC calculates to 0, then CEC is set to 1
Method B:
- Takes the result of Method A and adds the %Hyd.

Nutrient Recs

Similar to the Test Results window, the Nutrient Recs window holds the recommendations generated as either a Field average, sample by sample, or by Zone.

These nutrient recommendations may be imported from the lab by using Import Soil Test results, generated from the Agvance Planning Nutrient Recommendation function, or less commonly, typed in manually.

Last Date Generated – The date of the last created nutrient recommendations for this Field in the season is displayed. The date is automatically saved with the data when generating recommendations from the Agvance Planning module. It is also saved with the data when importing recommendations from the lab. When archiving Field data, this date is saved with the recommendation data, so the test date of any archived season displays when viewing.
- In Agvance Mapping, generate a contoured VRT (Variable Rate Technology) application map, based on test results or nutrient recommendations stored here at the Field file. Agvance can also export the GIS data needed for another mapping system’s VRT software if necessary.
Adjust Recs – This feature allows the option to adjust a single column (or nutrient) by a set number or percentage. Inputting a negative number decreases the quantities set.
Rec Method and Rec Style – These display the method used to generate the nutrient recs being viewed and print on the Nutrient Recommendation report.
Note: The last column on the grid is user-defined in case a nutrient needed is not defaulted in Agvance. Label this column at Setup / Location Preferences.

Budget

This part of the Field data is a tool to summarize field inputs and other costs related to crop production. It allows a breakeven profit analysis to be produced based on the costs of field inputs, target yield and estimated market prices. To simplify the process, import Field Plans previously made in the Agvance Planning module.

Yield Units – Select the units for the yield data.
Acres and Target Yield – All is displayed from the Field Profile and Field Sample tabs. Although these numbers cannot be edited here, they may be changed at the Profile or Samples windows and those changes are then reflected here.
Import Plans – This displays any Field Plans developed in Agvance Planning for this specific Field. View any of the Plans before selecting them to be imported into this Budget window.
Profit Analysis – When the list of cost factors is complete, select this option to display a breakeven Profit Analysis.
Calculate By – Select the column for the basis of the calculations on this window and choose Apply. All rows use this column along with Yield and Field Acres to calculate the other two columns.
Save As – Select the row or rows to replicate to other Fields. Selecting this option gives the option of choosing Fields. Each item highlighted in the grid is appended to the Budget tab of the selected Field or Fields.
Profit Analysis – Complete the Field Budget information and then select Profit Analysis. Based on the costs listed on the Field Budget window, this window calculates the breakeven points (yield and price/bu). Test what-if scenarios by changing the Target Yield and Price. Negative numbers display in red.
Target Price and Target Yield – The Target Price and Target Yield held on the Samples tab default here. Alter them to see the effect on the analysis. Changing these figures here does not change the corresponding values on the Field Samples tab.
Profit – Select whether breakeven profits are displayed in terms of Per Acre or Total.
Recalculate – This generates the analysis in the grid. The grid column and row labels are calculated to display yields and prices above and below the targets.

Bill Splits

Indicate up to eight Customers involved in the billing along with the various split arrangements for the Field. The system allows for up to three different predefined splits among those Customers, depending on the split arrangement involved.

Although not considered critical, the billing splits are very helpful when invoicing.

Customer – Enter the Customers involved in billing this Field. It is suggested to list the Grower first. In the Standard Arrangement column, enter each Customer’s most common split percentage. In the S-2 column, enter the secondary split arrangement, and, in the S-3 column, the third arrangement. The columns must add to 100%.
Hint: Double-clicking in the Customer column displays a list of customers for selection.
Departmental Split Overrides – S-1 is considered the typical split arrangement for this billing arrangement. For example, a Field that is typically split 50/50 except the grower pays 100% of application charges and the split is 60/40 for all chemicals. In this case, to set up the Application and Chemical departments as S-2 and S-3 respectively, select the appropriate split name from the drop-down list after setting them up as described previously. The predefined split arrangements are set up at Hub / Setup / Bill Split Arrangements. For more on this see Bill Split Arrangements.

History

The History tab holds past transaction history for the Field from Invoices, Blend Tickets, and Delivery Tickets. The posting of product application to Field history is a user-initiated function. This may be done for all Fields or for a specific Field.

To post history for all Fields for a specified range of transactions go to Hub / Utilities / Transfer to Field History. To post history for a specific Field, edit the Field. On the History tab select Import New History. Either of these options post all loaded Blend Tickets, loaded by Field Delivery Tickets, and by Field Invoices that did not originate with Delivery or Blend Tickets and reversals of these transactions.

Note: The columns may be resized and the column settings saved. The resizing is remembered per user.

Add History Row – Select to manually add a row for history details.
Show History – Previously imported history does not display until Show History is selected. This expedites the Field loading process.
Import New History – Select the documents and range of each to post.
Note: Any document posted to Field History is marked in such a way that it cannot be posted to Field History again or edited. Voids of Invoices previously posted to Field History display a message instructing to manually delete the Field History entry. The Rate/Acre saved for Delivery Tickets that post are calculated using the Field acres = 1. Invoices use the acres saved on the Additional Info window and use 1 if those acres have not been set.

Maps

This tab displays the Field maps from the Agvance Mapping module.