Tutorials & Help Centre

Why it is worth using

• Professional-level advice on any farming topic, available day or night, at no consultation fee.
• Answers are shaped by your country, climate, crops and animals — not generic textbook text.
• Every report gives step-by-step actions you can start the same week.

How this module works

• Your question is combined with your profile, your crops and animals, your location and the current season.
• The advisor writes a structured report — situation, likely causes, recommended actions, costs, timeline.
• Calculations are shown step by step, and charts are drawn where numbers are easier to see than read.
• You can ask follow-up questions on the same report, and download it as a PDF.

Step by step

1. 1Open Smart Agronomist from the sidebar.
2. 2Pick one of the suggested questions, or type your own into the box at the bottom.
3. 3Press Enter (or click Send). A structured professional report is prepared for you.
4. 4Read the report — Introduction, Situation Analysis, Causes, Risks, Step-by-Step Recommendations, Preventive Measures, Best Practices, a Practical Example, Key Takeaways and Related Resources.
5. 5Ask follow-up questions in the same conversation — the advisor remembers recent context and stays tailored to your profile.

Worked examples

• How should I prepare my soil before planting maize this season?
• My tomato leaves are curling and yellowing — what could be wrong?
• How do I calculate fertiliser rates from a soil test result?
• What are the export requirements for chillies from my country?
• Give me a step-by-step feeding programme for a small flock of broilers.

If something goes wrong

• If you see 'temporarily unavailable', wait a few seconds and resend — the platform will auto-switch to a healthy provider.
• If a report feels too generic, add one sentence of context (variety, planting date, plot size, symptom timeline) and ask again.

Why it is worth using

• One trusted starting point instead of searching the internet — less time lost, fewer wrong answers.
• Guidance written for real farms: what to do, when to do it and what it costs.
• Jump straight from reading to doing, because every section links to the matching tool.

How this module works

• Content is organised into topic sections you expand one at a time, so nothing feels overwhelming.
• Your profile (country, crops, interests) decides which sections and examples are highlighted first.
• Each section carries quick links into the working tools, so reading flows straight into doing.

Step by step

1. 1Open Farming Knowledge Hub from the sidebar (top).
2. 2Scan the section index at the top and click any section to expand it — each contains simple explanations, comparison tables and callouts.
3. 3Use the quick links inside a section to jump straight to the matching tool (Scanner, Weather, Calendar, Journal, Agronomist).
4. 4Bookmark the Hub — it's the fastest place to start a farming decision.

Why it is worth using

• See the state of your whole farm in about 30 seconds each morning.
• Catch weather risks (heat, frost, heavy rain) before they damage a crop.
• Never forget the next planned activity — it is always on screen.

How this module works

• It reads live weather for your saved farm location, plus your crops, calendar events, scans and journal entries.
• Each card refreshes on its own whenever the underlying data changes — you never press refresh.
• Smart insight panels rank what needs attention today and place the most urgent item first.

Step by step

1. 1Open Dashboard from the sidebar.
2. 2Check the weather card for today's conditions and any heat or frost alerts.
3. 3Look at 'Next farming activity' — it's pulled from your Crop Calendar. Click it to jump into the event.
4. 4Review the most recent scan and journal entry cards, then jump into either module to add a new one.

Why it is worth using

• Avoid planting the wrong variety — a mistake that costs years, not weeks.
• Get pruning, nutrition and irrigation right so trees carry fruit every season.
• Understand cold chain and grading, which is what turns fruit into export income.

How this module works

• You select the fruit and your growing conditions; variety and rootstock options are matched to them.
• The module builds an orchard calendar — pruning, nutrition, irrigation, pest control, harvest.
• Grading, packing and cold-chain requirements are matched to the market you intend to supply.

Step by step

1. 1Open Fruit Growing from the sidebar.
2. 2Check the crop comparison table to shortlist fruits suited to your climate and budget.
3. 3Read the value-chain sections from orchard establishment through post-harvest.
4. 4Ask the Smart Fruit Advisor about your specific site, variety or problem.

Why it is worth using

• Access high-value markets with small pieces of land.
• Drying and processing done correctly can multiply the price you receive.
• Learn the quality standards buyers and exporters actually ask for.

How this module works

• You choose a herb and your intended market (fresh, dried, oil, extract).
• Agronomy, harvest timing and drying conditions are given for that specific end use.
• Quality standards and record-keeping requirements buyers ask for are listed alongside.

Step by step

1. 1Open Medicinal Herbs from the sidebar.
2. 2Use the species-by-region guidance to pick herbs that suit your climate.
3. 3Follow the propagation, nursery, harvesting and drying sections.
4. 4Ask the Smart Herbs Advisor about markets, drying methods or quality certification.

Why it is worth using

• Choose a system that suits your land, water and money instead of copying a neighbour.
• See honest costs, labour needs and risks before you commit.
• Get a staged transition plan so change does not break your cash flow.

How this module works

• You describe your land, water, labour and available capital.
• Each system is scored against those constraints rather than presented as an ideal.
• The result is a shortlist plus a staged transition plan that protects your cash flow.

Step by step

1. 1Open Farming Systems from the sidebar.
2. 2Set your climate, farm size, water access, investment level and goal.
3. 3Review the ranked systems and open each for strengths, costs and requirements.
4. 4Generate the personalised Smart recommendation for a full transition plan.

Why it is worth using

• Identify a plant, pest, disease or deficiency from a photo in under a minute.
• Catch problems early, when a cheap action still works, instead of after yield is lost.
• Get a treatment plan with organic and chemical options, plus what to do over the next 7 days.

How this module works

• Your photo is matched against a plant identification database to name the plant.
• The image is then examined for symptoms and read together with your crop, location and season.
• You get an identification with confidence, a diagnosis, urgency level, and a seven-day action plan.
• Findings can be marked on the image, saved to your history and shared by link.

Step by step

1. 1Open Plant Scanner from the sidebar.
2. 2Choose Upload, Camera or drag-and-drop a clear, well-lit photo of a leaf, flower or affected area.
3. 3Wait a few seconds — PlantNet identifies the species and the Smart Assistant checks for diseases and pests. Confidence scores are shown for each result.
4. 4Scroll to 'Ask about this image' and pick a suggested question (treatment, organic options, fertiliser, prevention) — or type your own.
5. 5Read the structured report (Diagnosis, Severity, Immediate Actions, Treatment, Prevention). Every scan is saved in your history.

If something goes wrong

• Low confidence or no match: retake in daylight, focused on one organ, no clutter.
• Upload fails: check your connection and that the file is under 10 MB (JPG/PNG).

Why it is worth using

• Irrigate only when the crop needs it — saves water, fuel and pumping cost.
• Advance warning of heat, frost, wind and heavy rain gives time to protect crops and animals.
• Plan spraying, planting and harvesting on the right days.

How this module works

• Several weather providers are queried for your location; if one fails another takes over automatically.
• Forecast temperature, rainfall, humidity and wind are converted into irrigation and spraying advice.
• Thresholds for heat, frost, wind and heavy rain raise alerts that also appear on your Dashboard.

Step by step

1. 1Open Weather & Irrigation. Use 'Use my location' or search a town/city.
2. 2Review Current conditions (temperature, humidity, wind) and the 7-day forecast.
3. 3Check Spraying conditions before any treatment — the card flags high wind, rain wash-off risk and heat stress.
4. 4Read the Irrigation recommendation — it compares expected rainfall with crop water demand and tells you when to water.
5. 5Look above the forecast for Heat stress and Frost warnings when conditions warrant.

If something goes wrong

• Location blocked: search for your town by name instead, or allow location in your browser settings and reload.

Why it is worth using

• Nothing important is forgotten: planting, feeding, spraying, weeding and harvest all have dates.
• Spread work and spending evenly across the season.
• Export the calendar to your phone so reminders reach you in the field.

How this module works

• Planting and harvest dates from My Crops are expanded into a full set of dated activities.
• You can add, edit, complete or delete any event — the generated plan is a starting point, not a lock.
• The calendar exports to your phone (iCal), and the next due activity shows on the Dashboard.

Step by step

1. 1Add crops in My Crops — planting and expected harvest dates create automatic events.
2. 2Open Crop Calendar to see everything in one timeline (Upcoming and Past).
3. 3Click Add event to schedule any custom task — optionally link it to a crop.
4. 4Click Export iCal to load the calendar into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook.
5. 5Upcoming events also appear on your Dashboard as reminders.

Why it is worth using

• Keeps a permanent record of what you planted, where and when.
• Feeds your Crop Calendar, Dashboard and Smart reports automatically, so you only type it once.
• Makes it easy to compare seasons and see which crop actually paid.

How this module works

• You enter each crop once with its planting and expected harvest dates.
• Saving a crop automatically generates the matching activities in your Crop Calendar.
• Every other module reads this list, so advice, costs and reminders refer to your real fields.

Step by step

1. 1Open My Crops from the sidebar.
2. 2Click Add crop, enter the crop name (and variety), area (with unit), planting date and expected harvest date.
3. 3Add optional notes — e.g. seed source, spacing, target market.
4. 4Save. Planting and harvest events appear automatically in your Crop Calendar.
5. 5Edit or delete any crop card at any time — changes sync to the calendar instantly.

Why it is worth using

• Understand animal symptoms before they spread through the herd or flock.
• Know when home care is enough and when you must call a veterinarian — this prevents deaths and wasted money.
• Better feeding, breeding and housing decisions mean more milk, meat and eggs from the same animals.

How this module works

• You describe symptoms, species, age and how long the problem has lasted; a photo can be added.
• The assistant compares this to common conditions for that species in your region and season.
• It returns likely causes, urgency, immediate care, treatment options and clear 'call a vet now' signals.

Step by step

1. 1Open Livestock Health from the sidebar.
2. 2Smart Assistant — pick the animal, describe the symptoms, optionally attach a photo, and get a structured field report with severity, immediate actions and when to call a vet.
3. 3Disease Library — filter by species and search by symptom to look up cattle, goat, pig, poultry and rabbit diseases with prevention and vaccination notes.
4. 4Reminders — schedule vaccinations, deworming, tick treatments and vitamins. Overdue items are flagged automatically.
5. 5Calculators — estimate livestock weight (Schaeffer method) and daily feed requirements by species and body weight.

If something goes wrong

• The Smart Assistant is decision support — prescription treatments and serious cases still need a qualified veterinarian.

Why it is worth using

• Reduce chick mortality in the first two weeks, which is where most money is lost.
• Follow a vaccination and biosecurity routine that prevents whole-flock disasters.
• Know your cost per bird and per egg, so pricing is based on facts.

How this module works

• You choose the production type (layers, broilers, indigenous) and flock size.
• Feed, housing, brooding temperature and vaccination schedules are calculated for that flock.
• Cost per bird and per egg are worked out from your own input prices, not averages.

Step by step

1. 1Open Poultry Farming from the sidebar.
2. 2Browse the sections — breed selection, housing, brooding, feeding, vaccination, biosecurity, records and marketing.
3. 3Ask the Smart Poultry Advisor a specific question (flock size, age, symptoms, budget) to get a personalised report.
4. 4Use the follow-up box under the report to dig deeper, then save or download it.

Why it is worth using

• Know exact due dates so you are ready with clean housing, feed and help at birth.
• Fewer missed heats means shorter calving/kidding intervals — more young born per year.
• Breeding records show which parents produce your best offspring.

How this module works

• You record service or mating dates per animal.
• Species-specific gestation lengths are applied to calculate due dates and preparation dates.
• Upcoming births and weaning appear as reminders so nothing is discovered on the day it happens.

Step by step

1. 1Open Livestock → Breeding from the sidebar.
2. 2Choose the animal type (for example dairy cow, Boer goat, sow or laying hen).
3. 3Enter the mating or insemination date. The due date, dry-off date and preparation dates are calculated for you.
4. 4Read the stage-by-stage care notes — feeding during pregnancy, signs that birth is near, and what to prepare.
5. 5Add the important dates to your Crop Calendar so you get reminders.

Worked examples

• A goat mated on 1 March: gestation is about 150 days, so kidding is due around 29 July — prepare a clean, dry pen from mid-July.
• A dairy cow served on 10 January: calving is due about 283 days later, in mid-October, and she should be dried off roughly 60 days before that.

Common mistakes

• Mating young females too early. Wait until they reach the target body weight, not just the target age.
• Using the same male on his own daughters. Rotate or buy in new bloodlines to avoid inbreeding problems.

Words explained

Gestation:

The pregnancy period — the time from mating until the young is born.

Heat (oestrus):

The short period when a female will accept a male and can fall pregnant.

Dry-off:

Stopping milking a cow before she calves so her body can rest and prepare.

Why it is worth using

• Keep water quality inside safe limits so fish grow fast and do not die suddenly.
• Stock and feed at the right rate — feed is the biggest cost in fish farming.
• Plan harvest timing for the best market price.

How this module works

• You enter species, pond or tank size and stocking numbers.
• Stocking density, feeding rate and expected growth are calculated from those figures.
• Water quality targets are given as safe ranges, with the action to take when a reading falls outside them.

Step by step

1. 1Open Livestock → Aquaculture from the sidebar.
2. 2Pick your species (for example tilapia or catfish) and your system (earthen pond, lined pond or tank).
3. 3Enter pond size and stocking numbers to see the recommended stocking density and daily feed amount.
4. 4Check the water quality targets — oxygen, temperature, pH and ammonia — and how to correct each one.
5. 5Ask the Smart Advisor about any problem you see, such as fish gasping at the surface, and follow the action plan.

Worked examples

• A 200 m² pond stocked with tilapia at 3 fish per m² holds 600 fish; at 3% of body weight per day, 100 g fish need about 1.8 kg of feed daily, split into two feeds.

Common mistakes

• Overstocking to 'get more fish'. Crowded fish grow slowly and die in heat waves.
• Harvesting all at once with no buyer arranged. Line up the market before you drain the pond.

Words explained

Stocking density:

How many fish you keep in each square metre of water.

Dissolved oxygen:

The oxygen in the water that fish breathe through their gills.

FCR (feed conversion ratio):

How many kilograms of feed it takes to add one kilogram of fish.

Why it is worth using

• Bees add income from honey and wax while pollinating your crops for free.
• A seasonal checklist prevents the two biggest losses: absconding and pest damage.
• Very low land requirement — suitable even for small plots.

How this module works

• Guidance is arranged by season, because bee management is driven by the flowering calendar.
• Your location and month decide which tasks — inspection, feeding, supering, harvesting — are shown as due.
• Pest, disease and absconding checks are built into each inspection list.

Step by step

1. 1Open Livestock → Beekeeping from the sidebar.
2. 2Read the hive types section and choose the hive that suits your budget and local bee species.
3. 3Follow the apiary siting rules — shade, water, wind protection and distance from people and animals.
4. 4Use the seasonal inspection checklist so you know what to look for at each visit.
5. 5Ask the Smart Advisor about problems such as absconding, wax moth or low honey yields.

Worked examples

• Ten strong colonies producing 15 kg of honey each per season give 150 kg — at a farm-gate price of 5 per kg that is 750 in income from a small piece of land.

Common mistakes

• Opening hives too often — every inspection sets the colony back a little.
• Harvesting unripe honey with high moisture, which ferments and spoils.

Words explained

Apiary:

The place where your hives are kept.

Absconding:

When the whole colony leaves the hive, usually due to pests, heat or disturbance.

Supering:

Adding an extra box on top of the hive so bees have space to store honey.

Why it is worth using

• Understand whether prices are rising or falling before you sell.
• A fair price range protects you from being underpaid by middlemen.
• Sell-or-hold guidance turns storage into a decision, not a gamble.

How this module works

• Public market and trade data is combined with the crop, country and season you select.
• Trends are summarised as direction (rising, flat, falling) with a fair price range.
• A sell-or-hold recommendation is given with the reasoning, so you can judge it yourself.

Step by step

1. 1Open Market Intelligence from the sidebar.
2. 2Type the product you plan to sell and click Analyse market.
3. 3Read the trend, fair price range and sell-or-hold decision cards first.
4. 4Check the buyer categories, then follow the next actions list.

Why it is worth using

• Know your true cost of production, not a guess.
• See profit per hectare and per unit before you agree a price.
• Test 'what if' prices and yields so you know your break-even point.

How this module works

• You enter area, expected yield, input costs and the price you expect.
• Cost per unit, revenue, gross margin and break-even price are calculated and shown step by step.
• You can change any figure to test 'what if' prices and yields before you commit to a sale.

Step by step

1. 1Open Harvest & Profit tools.
2. 2Pick a tab — Harvest, Yield, Profit, Seed rate or Unit converter.
3. 3Enter your numbers (area, yield, price, costs). Results update as you type.
4. 4Copy the result into your Farm Journal so you can compare across seasons.

Worked examples

• Harvest = yield × area (e.g. 4 t/ha × 2 ha = 8 t).
• Profit = revenue − input costs (seed, fertiliser, labour, transport).
• Seed rate = plants per hectare × seed weight ÷ germination %.

Why it is worth using

• Find the buyer type that pays best for your volume and quality.
• Learn negotiation points and contract basics in plain words.
• Reduce post-harvest loss between the field and the sale.

How this module works

• You describe your produce, volume, quality and how far you can transport it.
• Buyer channels are ranked by likely price, reliability and how much volume they need.
• You receive negotiation points, payment terms to insist on and post-harvest handling steps.

Step by step

1. 1Open Selling Advisor from the sidebar.
2. 2Say whether you are planning to sell, then choose Crop or Livestock.
3. 3Enter the product name, variety or breed, quantity, farm size and quality grade.
4. 4Pick your current production stage, expected harvest or sale date, and preferred selling method.
5. 5Press 'Generate selling report' and read the summary cards at the top for your readiness status.
6. 6Work through the Personalised Selling Checklist and Practical Next Steps in the report.
7. 7Use the 'Recommended next action' buttons to continue with the Smart Agronomist on quality, price, export or buyers.

Worked examples

• Crop · Maize · SC627 · 12 tonnes · Grade B · Ready to harvest · Cooperative.
• Livestock · Boer goats · 40 head · Grade A · Market ready · Auction.

If something goes wrong

• Report not appearing? Check your internet connection and try again — your details stay in the form.
• Prices look unfamiliar? Set the correct country on My Profile so amounts are shown in your local currency.

Why it is worth using

• Turn farming into a managed business with budgets, cash flow and break-even numbers.
• Produce documents you can show to a bank, investor or grant programme.
• Spot loss-making enterprises early and fix or drop them.

How this module works

• You pick the business tool you need — budget, cash flow, break-even, funding or export readiness.
• Your farm data and the figures you enter are used to build the document.
• Reports are saved to your account and can be downloaded as PDF for banks or investors.

Step by step

1. 1Open Agribusiness Centre from the sidebar and choose a tab.
2. 2Answer the guided questions step by step — skip anything you do not know and a sensible assumption is made for you.
3. 3Press 'Generate professional report' and read the Quick Summary card first.
4. 4Use the Cost of Production tab to enter your real input costs and see your cost per hectare, per animal and per kilogram.
5. 5Note the minimum selling price shown — never sell below it.
6. 6In the Documents tab, create quotations, invoices, buyer proposals, supply letters and business letters, then copy or download them.

Worked examples

• Profitability: compare maize, tomatoes and broilers on 1 hectare each.
• Cost of production: seed 2 500, fertiliser 6 000, labour 9 000, 5 000 kg expected harvest.
• Funding: 60 000 needed for drip irrigation, 10 000 own contribution.

If something goes wrong

• Numbers look unrealistic? Add more detail in the questions — the report follows the figures you give it.
• PDF button locked? Downloads are a Permanent Member feature.

Why it is worth using

• Get ready-to-use adverts, product descriptions and pricing messages.
• Reach customers directly and keep the margin a middleman would take.
• Build a recognisable farm brand that earns repeat buyers.

How this module works

• You choose the produce, the customer you want to reach and the channel (market, WhatsApp, social, retail).
• Ready-to-use adverts, descriptions and price messages are written in your language and English level.
• Copy can be regenerated in a different tone until it sounds like your farm.

Step by step

1. 1Open Marketing & Sales and pick what to create — description, brochure, Facebook or WhatsApp advert, poster, branding or headlines.
2. 2Enter the produce, who you want to reach, and the details that make it attractive.
3. 3Press 'Create marketing material', then copy it straight into WhatsApp or Facebook.
4. 4Switch to Sales Manager and record each sale: buyer, product, quantity, price, date and whether you were paid.
5. 5Open Buyers & Trends to see your income by month, your repeat buyers and your best-earning products.

Worked examples

• WhatsApp advert for 'Grade A tomatoes, picked this morning, 5 kg crates, delivery within 30 km'.
• Sale record: Mama Grace Stores · Tomatoes Grade A · 200 kg · 12 per kg · paid.

If something goes wrong

• No trends showing? Record at least a few sales first.
• Amounts in the wrong currency? Set your country on My Profile.

Why it is worth using

• A single score shows how the farm is really doing, month to month.
• Daily briefings put the most important action first.
• Track improvement over time instead of relying on memory.

How this module works

• Your crops, calendar completion, journal activity, scans and financial entries are scored by fixed rules.
• Each category shows its own score, so you can see exactly what is pulling the total down.
• A daily briefing converts the weakest area into one concrete action for today.

Step by step

1. 1Open Farm Performance from the sidebar.
2. 2Read your overall score, then check the area cards to see where points are being lost.
3. 3Read 'What needs attention' and use the links to jump straight to the tool that fixes it.
4. 4Press "Today's briefing" for a full written briefing from your farm manager.
5. 5Follow the suggested learning links to close the weakest gaps.

If something goes wrong

• Score low but the farm is fine? The score reflects what is recorded; add your crops and journal entries.
• Weather card empty? Add your farm location on My Profile.

Why it is worth using

• Your country, town, crops and animals make every Smart report specific to you.
• Choose language and English level so everything reads comfortably.
• Accurate location makes weather and market guidance far more useful.

How this module works

• You enter country, town, farm size, crops, animals, interests, language and English level.
• The profile is saved to your account and read by every module on every request.
• Changing a value here changes the advice you get everywhere, immediately.

Step by step

1. 1Open My Profile from the sidebar (bottom).
2. 2Fill in first name, surname, Country, Town / City / Region and your Role (farmer, extension officer, student, agronomist, agribusiness owner, etc.).
3. 3Add your Main farming interests — e.g. maize, dairy cattle, tomato greenhouse, export chillies. Smart tools use these to focus their examples.
4. 4Choose your Preferred language. Every generated report, scanner analysis and Smart Agronomist reply will be written in that language.
5. 5Under Farm location, click 'Use my current location' so the Weather & Irrigation tool can give precise local forecasts.
6. 6Click Save profile. Changes take effect immediately across the platform.

Worked examples

• A Kenyan extension officer in Nakuru with interests 'dairy cattle, maize' will get Smart Agronomist answers that reference local rainfall patterns, KES pricing where relevant, KDB dairy guidance and Nakuru-appropriate maize varieties.

If something goes wrong

• If location detection is blocked, allow location access in your browser settings and reload — or set a nearby town manually in the Weather page.

Why it is worth using

• A written history of your farm — the single most valuable record for improving next season.
• Proof of practice for buyers, certifiers, lenders and insurance.
• Search past entries to see what worked the last time this problem appeared.

How this module works

• You write short entries with a date, field, activity, cost and observation.
• Entries are searchable by word, crop or date, so past solutions are easy to find again.
• Journal history also feeds your Performance score and Smart reports as evidence of practice.

Step by step

1. 1Open Farm Journal and click New entry.
2. 2Pick a category (note, treatment, activity, weather), add a title and body.
3. 3Attach a photo if useful — before/after treatment shots are especially valuable.
4. 4Use the search box and category filter at the top to find past entries fast.
5. 5Your most recent entry appears on the Dashboard for quick reference.

Why it is worth using

• Learn at your own pace, in your own language and English level.
• Ask any farming question and get a structured lesson, not a one-line answer.
• Build skills that raise yields permanently.

How this module works

• Lessons are grouped into courses by topic and difficulty level.
• Any question you ask is turned into a structured lesson with examples and a short summary.
• Everything respects your chosen language and English level (Standard or Simple).

Step by step

1. 1Open Learning Centre and pick a tab (Crops, Diseases, Pests, Organic, Soil, Seasonal, Videos, FAQs).
2. 2Use the search box inside a tab to jump straight to a topic.
3. 3Click Download on any guide list to save it as a text file for offline reading.
4. 4For any topic not covered, ask the Smart Agronomist — it will generate a full report tailored to your profile.