Crop Details and their definitions

This initiates cultivation and sowing and starts the crop’s growth. It is assumed the crop is sown at the start of the month.

Ensure that actual sowing month is entered - if this is in the previous year to Year 1 then use the "Prior Land Use option" to record this crop. 

Entering this event when a previous crop exists, i.e. if harvest, cultivation or final defoliation has not occurred earlier, will stop the previous crop’s
growth. Harvest of the previous crop is assumed if appropriate, and residues removed as specified in its dialog.

Consequently non-harvested tops and roots become residues in the month the new crop is sown. A crop grows according to a typical relationship between stage of growth and accumulated thermal degree days, with the growth period extended if the month the crop ends or is harvested two months following crop
maturity. Exceptions to this rule are pasture, seed crops after the first harvest and annual ryegrass forages, where the growth rate is based on estimated monthly growth rates.

Define the reason the crop finishes:

• Final defoliation - A defoliation event will be created on the crops final month and the defoliation details will be required to be entered i.e. either cut and carried or grazed in situ. 
• Cultivate - Any existing crop growth is stopped at the end of the month previous to the finish month.
• Harvest - Use this option ot specify the year and month a crop is harvested (Ryegrass seed crops are by default harvested in December, clover seed is harvested in January). The growth of the crop is stopped at the end of the Crop finishes in month. This option is not applicable to fodder, forage, green manure or pasture crops. However, if a second activity i.e. planting is added to a month, the model then assumes that harvest took place at the start of the month. Product is exported from the farm.
• End Crop - The growth of the crop is stopped at the end of the The growth of the crop is stopped at the end of the month and non-harvested tops and roots become residues. No product is removed. This option represents management such as spraying or crop pulling, the block is then left fallow and regrowth is retained. Using this option may also extend the crop growth period if specified within two months following crop maturity, a period during which there is no nutrient uptake. Use this option with caution. End Crop is not an option for forage and fodder crops.

Month the crop finishes in. This is used to determine the growth curve of the crop for all crops except pasture and pasture seed crops. which is calculated using your block location temperature.

If the final event is a cultivate or defoliation the model assumes the crop finishes at the end of the month otherwise the model assumes the start of the month

• Minimum Till - Also known as Minimum tillage, should be selected when there has been minimum soil manipulation. It is a tillage method that does not turn the soil over.
• Direct Drilled – Direct Drilled should be selected when the seed is placed in the soil in a narrow slot created by discs, coulters or chisels. The soil is left undisturbed with crop residues on the surface.
• Conventional – Conventional cultivation should be selected when the soil is inverted with a plough or similar machinery.

This dialogue box appears only for crop options that are likely to leave a residue in the paddock. From the drop-down list box select an option:  

• Retained – incorporated into the soil with next cultivation
• Grazed
• Burnt
• Removed – baled and removed from farm

Note that multiple options such as baling then burning or grazing then burning are not supported. It is recommended that the option which removed the greatest amount of the residue be selected.

Enter soil test values if known by checking the box. The best values are ones taken during the crop growing phase. Samples taken prior to sowing are acceptable provided no capital fertiliser has been applied. If no soil test data is specified, default values based on a survey of soil test results will be used.

Add the details of whether the crop was grazed in place or removed (cut and carry). The standing crop is removed but crop re-growth occurs. This option is limited to crops such as winter oats and wheat, seed crops, cut and carry of permanent pasture, forages, and fodder crops.

You can add one or many defoliation events between the sown and final month of the crop to represent grazing over extended periods.