# 04 · Design benchmarks: how proven farm / livestock tools structure data entry

Purpose: adapt, not invent. This note surveys well-regarded tools that describe farms or livestock systems and extracts the UX patterns worth borrowing for the iCLEANED data-entry redesign (Home/scenarios → Location & climate → Plots → Seasons → Herds & animal groups → Feeds → Manure & inputs → Feeding plan → Check & run → Results).

Evidence basis: official user guides / manuals were read in full for Cool Farm Tool (livestock), Agrecalc Cloud, GLEAM-i 2.0, CAP'2ER (methodological guide + brochure), COMET-Farm, Farm Carbon Calculator, Bord Bia/Teagasc Carbon Navigator, FEAST data application and EX-ACT quick guidance. Farm-management and farmer-facing apps (AgriWebb, Herdwatch, Breedr, Farmbrite, farmOS, Ruminati, MLA calculator, iCow, Nuru, Plantix, Farmer.Chat, Hello Tractor) were assessed from official product pages, help centres and published evaluations. Anything not directly observed is marked **(inferred)**.

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## 1. App-by-app table

| # | App (owner) | Scope described | Primary users | Platform | UX patterns worth borrowing | Anti-patterns / cautions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | **Cool Farm Tool – Beef & Dairy** (Cool Farm Alliance) | Whole herd GHG for one reference period; 7 sections: General, Production/Milk, Herd, Grazing, Feed, Manure, Energy, Transport | Producers, agronomists, technicians "who work with farmers" | Web (desktop) | (a) Herd = one table: 6 fixed age/sex categories × {on-farm avg number, live weight} × {sold, purchased}; dairy live weights auto-filled from breed and editable. (b) Two feed approaches: precise DMI per feed per category, or simple % feed mix for whole herd (must sum to 100). (c) Manure = per category, pick 1..n management types with % shares; if none selected, grazing assumed; grazing-time manure auto-derived from Grazing section. (d) Number + unit dropdown on every quantity; hover "i" contextual help on every question; free-text notes box per section. (e) "Save as" to duplicate an assessment and build what-if scenarios; compare view. (f) Reference period start chosen, end auto-set to +12 months (editable for cycle-based systems). | Feed crops must be assessed separately in the crop module and saved as feed items – a two-pathway detour that confuses first-time users. No rotational grazing / soil C for grassland. No offline. |
| 2 | **Agrecalc Cloud** (SAC Consulting / SRUC) | Whole-farm + enterprise + product footprint; 3 sections: Land & Crops, Livestock, Energy & Waste | Farmers, consultants (validators), supply-chain users | Web, "best on desktop/laptop" | (a) Report set-up wizard: pick sectors present → add a *group* per herd/flock → tick livestock classes present → benchmark "enterprise system type" from list. Only the ticked classes appear on later pages. (b) Livestock class list with plain definitions (Cow, Bull, Heifer 0-12/12-24/24-36 mth, Steer…). (c) Livestock pages in order: Numbers & Weights → Purchases, Sales & Deaths → Performance → Manure Management → Purchased Feed → Purchased Bedding → Feed Ration. (d) Manure = % of time per class grazing in-bye / hill / housed in each of 6 systems, red cells until rows total 100 %. (e) Prepopulated typical values (ADG, ration digestibility, CP) usable "in the absence of more specific data"; manure N/P prepopulates from type and is editable. (f) Auto-save on "Next"; no forced order ("we recommend starting with Land & Crops"). (g) "Allocate fuel use" button distributes whole-farm energy to enterprises. (h) Consultant validation as a QC step; multi-herd support. | ~2.5 h first time (Farmers Weekly). Pesticides require the user to pre-adjust area by number of sprays – arithmetic pushed onto the user. Hectare-only areas. |
| 3 | **CAP'2ER** (Idele, France) | Multicriteria environmental diagnostic for ruminant workshops: GHG, energy, water, air, C storage, biodiversity, nourishing performance, economics | Trained advisers (1-day L1 / 2-day L2 course), with farmer | Web | (a) Two explicit depth levels: **Level 1 = 27 data points, 30 min**, awareness/observatory; **Level 2 = 150 data points, 3 h**, action plan & simulation. (b) Level-1 "forfaits" (fixed defaults) are published per indicator – e.g. one housing type (full straw yard), 180 housing days for dairy heifers, one slurry store type, N excretion per animal category from Nitrates Directive references, 15 % legumes in grassland. (c) 3-step framing: Diagnostic → Action plan → Monitoring (import from other databases, export results, simulate levers, track over time). (d) Positioning against a reference group. (e) Ecocert certification covers *data collection by advisers* as well as method – consistency of entry is treated as part of the tool. | Licence + training required; no self-service farmer path. Documentation is French-only. |
| 4 | **GLEAM-i 2.0** (FAO) | National/sub-national livestock GHG (6 species) via Herd, Feed, Manure modules; Baseline vs Scenario | Policy planners, project designers, NGOs | Excel workbook (macros); Shiny web version exists | (a) Country selection loads **Default** values for every variable; three colour-coded columns: Default (light blue, locked), Baseline (dark blue, editable), Scenario (green, editable). Before edits all three are identical. (b) Herd module: enter reproductive adult numbers by system × herd type; parameters (fertility, mortality, replacement, weights) drive derived cohorts; **total animal numbers update live** in "special cells". (c) Feed: Summary ration by category + Detailed ration by feedstuff; "Ration percentages overview" turns green at 100 %, red otherwise, yellow if no animals. (d) Manure: % share per IPCC MMS per species/system/herd, same 100 % check. (e) Navigation bar with Previous/Next plus direct module jumps, selected country always shown top-right; short instruction block under the nav on every page. (f) Results: Baseline and Scenario side by side with % change labels; regional averages shown for reference; Tier 1 vs Tier 2 comparison. | Excel with macros – not portable to low-end laptops/browsers. Country averages are the only defaults (no sub-national). |
| 5 | **COMET-Farm** (USDA / Colorado State) | Cropland, animal agriculture, agroforestry, forestry GHG; baseline vs scenario | US producers, conservation planners | Web | (a) **Project Roadmap** pinned to top of every page: icons per accounting activity with 4 states (unavailable/greyed with hover reason, incomplete, selected, complete); report only unlocks when all complete. (b) Fields drawn or uploaded on a map; soils (SSURGO) and weather (PRISM) auto-derived from location; model runs per soil map unit. (c) Per-animal-type accordions (Animal Details → Feed Characteristics → Housing → Manure), each with grey→green completeness tick. (d) Monthly tables for population and live weight with **blue arrows to copy a value across months**. (e) **Feed Calculator**: tick the months a ration applies, pick feedstuffs, enter as-fed kg/head/day, review summary, "Populate Feeds" – converts to DMI/CP/fat/ash. (f) Housing = % time per housing type per month (must = 100 %), and the housing choice triggers only the relevant manure follow-ups; solids/liquids tables warn in red if ≠ 100 %. (g) "Groups" = same category, different diet/housing/manure; capped at 3-5 per category. (h) Copy management to other years/fields; crop-rotation templates; duplicate project. | US-only location (state/county), imperial units. Deep nesting (housing → separator → solids/liquids) is heavy for smallholder contexts. |
| 6 | **Farm Carbon Calculator** (Farm Carbon Toolkit, UK) | Whole-farm/enterprise footprint; ~9 categories incl. livestock, inputs, sequestration | Farmers self-entry; advisers | Web | (a) Explicit **"Collate your data" step with a downloadable spreadsheet whose order mirrors the online form**. (b) Category list on the left; free navigation but sequential recommended; toggle to mark a section done. (c) Every item added via "+ Add New" → cascading dropdowns; "if not applicable, leave it out". (d) **Live results panel** on the right updates after every entry (tCO2e, % by item, click segment for detail). (e) Report at 3 detail levels (Summary / Detailed / Full); compare reports; share; PDF/CSV. (f) Livestock: pick animal type, average number over period, what happened to manure; diet optional. | ~2 h plus 2-3 h collation (Farmers Weekly). Nine sections feel long; benchmarking still being improved. |
| 7 | **Carbon Navigator** (Bord Bia / Teagasc, Ireland) | Beef & dairy: 6 efficiency measures, current vs 3-year target, GHG % change and € benefit | Trained advisers with farmers | Web (adviser dashboard) | (a) **Prefill from national databases** (AIM animal movements, ICBF, milk processors) – farmer not asked for stock numbers/ages/breeds. (b) Farmer consents via SMS authorisation code that the adviser enters. (c) Only *six* inputs per enterprise, each as Current / Target pair; date-picker or typed dd/mmm. (d) Results as bar charts of performance vs peers (orange current, green target), % GHG change and € benefit per measure; totals on top. (e) Advice sheet auto-seeded with pre-scripted options the adviser edits. (f) Excel download and print. | Depends entirely on national data infrastructure that does not exist in most iCLEANED countries. Adviser-only. |
| 8 | **FEAST data application** (ILRI) | Site-level feed diagnosis: focus-group PRA + individual farmer interviews; livestock holdings, feed sources by month, crops, income, prices | Researchers, extension/NGO facilitators in SSA and S/SE Asia | Windows desktop, no install (unzip, run .bat), fully offline; export .zlib to global repository | (a) Strict hierarchy: Project → Site → Focus group → Interview respondent; site fixes country, currency and pasture nutrition defaults that prefill children. (b) Tabbed forms mirroring the paper guide (General, Farm/Household size, Seasons/Rainfall, Feed/Context issues, Agro-economic, Labour, Interview data). (c) **Seasons defined by assigning months; rainfall 0-5 per month; feed availability per month as 0-10 scores across sources that must total 10** – ordinal scoring instead of quantities. (d) Prev/Next buttons cycle through months or categories inside a pop-up so the user never leaves the form. (e) Livestock holding = category → type → headcount + average weight (+ optional breed). (f) Custom crops/feeds/livestock/units allowed but discouraged ("only when necessary"), with required reference and nutritional stats; local units defined by kg equivalence. (g) Reports viewed in-app or via Excel package; site-level or group-level. | Windows-only; deletion cascades permanently with only a warning; data keyed after the field session, not during. |
| 9 | **EX-ACT** (FAO) | Ex-ante project carbon balance, 8 modules incl. Grassland & Livestock; with/without project | Project designers (IFIs, ministries) | Excel (no macros) | (a) Description module first: continent, climate, moisture regime, dominant soil, project duration – these set every Tier 1 default. (b) Repeating colour code across modules: light-blue = enter, brown = variable/unit label, violet = optional Tier 2 override. (c) "Only fill modules your project touches; it is normal for many cells to remain empty." (d) Results by module, gross and per-hectare, with/without project. | Spreadsheet navigation; no validation of totals; heavy for non-experts. |
| 10 | **Ruminati** (Australia) | Farm-level scope 1-3 emissions for beef, sheep, dairy, grain, feedlot; reduction plans; supply-chain sharing | Producers (free), advisers, corporates (VISION) | Web app | (a) Marketing promise **"Your emissions report, done in under 30 minutes"**, positioned against months-long Excel GAF frameworks; designed by an external UX studio "simple and easy for farmers to fill out". (b) Uses "data you already have"; reduction-plan modelling of what-if changes. (c) Explicit data ownership: data stays private; sharing is opt-in per partner and revocable. (d) In-person onboarding events ("Burgers and Baselining"). | Public docs do not show screens; inputs list **(inferred)** from press: property size, fertiliser, crop & livestock numbers. |
| 11 | **MLA Carbon Calculator – Quick Start** (Meat & Livestock Australia) | Beef/sheep/grain/feedlot/goat GHG baseline and intensity | Producers | Web | (a) **Quick Start mode asks only for average livestock numbers per species; the tool applies the regional average distribution of stock classes** (steers, cows, wethers, ewes). (b) Regional dropdown ("region where most cattle purchased") plus % purchased. (c) Per-step eLearning lessons keyed to each input page. | Full mode still requires class-level detail. |
| 12 | **AgriWebb** (AU/UK/US) | Livestock record-keeping: mobs, paddocks, movements, treatments, weights | Commercial ranchers, farm teams | Mobile (offline-first) + web | (a) **Offline-first: capture in the paddock, auto-sync when back in range**. (b) Farm map as the home surface; mobs dragged between paddocks; landmarks. (c) Mob-level (group) records as default, individual animal optional. (d) 40+ typed record forms; team management. | Subscription; heavy for one-off assessments. |
| 13 | **Herdwatch** (Ireland/UK) | Compliance-ready cattle/sheep/dairy records | Farmers | Mobile + web, offline | (a) Offline in the yard with automatic sync. (b) Herd managed "individually or in groups". (c) Prefill/submission to government registries (BCMS, ScotEID) removes double entry. (d) Bluetooth EID readers and scale heads; one account, many devices. | Registry integration is jurisdiction-specific. |
| 14 | **Breedr** (UK/US) | Individual cattle performance, weights, movements | Cattle producers | Mobile, offline capture | (a) Chute-side flow: weight + EID captured in seconds, app shows ADG since last weigh and up/down trend immediately. (b) Records posted straight to BCMS/ScotEID. (c) Paid tier includes personal onboarding and phone support. | Individual-animal centric; not suited to head-count descriptions. |
| 15 | **Farmbrite** (US) | Whole-farm records incl. livestock, fields, accounting | Small/medium farms | Web + mobile | (a) "Create Animal" needs only name + DOB; everything else optional, "you don't have to add all of it right now". (b) Bulk animal import from spreadsheet. (c) Three grouping models: smart groups (filter-based), manual groups, and "set groups" for animals never tracked individually (flocks). (d) Import boundaries from KML/CSV. | Custom fields locked to paid tiers. |
| 16 | **farmOS** (open source) | Assets (land, animals, groups, equipment) + logs | Farmers, researchers | Web (Drupal) | (a) Draw land assets with polygon/line/point/circle; modify/move/delete vertices; snapping grid. (b) Location hierarchy (parent/child) by drag-and-drop. (c) Group assets contain animal assets → herds as groups. (d) Form fields "grouped into sensible tabs, with a sidebar of meta information". | Developer-oriented; generic asset/log model needs configuration. |
| 17 | **Climate FieldView** (Bayer) | Field boundaries and agronomic data layers | Row-crop growers (US) | Web + iPad + cab | (a) Add a field by searching address / lat-lon / picking a CLU polygon, then adjust boundary; required minimal metadata (field, client, farm name, approximate area). (b) Bulk import of shapefiles; auto boundary detection in cab. | Boundaries from cadastral CLUs only exist in the US. |
| 18 | **iCow** (Kenya) | Dairy/poultry advisory, gestation calendar, expert search, marketplace | Smallholders on feature phones | SMS keywords, USSD (*285#), Android, KaiOS, web | (a) Register a cow (insemination date) → automatic date-triggered SMS reminders. (b) Keyword SMS ("BLOAT") returns 10 tips; USSD numbered menus. (c) Same content across SMS/USSD/app/voice so "no farmer… is left behind". (d) Structured data collection via SMS (body condition, milk yield, calving dates). | Per-message cost; free text limits; no visual data. |
| 19 | **PlantVillage Nuru** (Penn State / CGIAR) | Cassava, maize, potato disease diagnosis in the field | Smallholders and extension officers (phones distributed to lead farmers) | Android/iOS, **fully offline on-device model** | (a) Camera-first, real-time detection ("wave your phone in front of a leaf"), no typing. (b) Advice delivered offline in Swahili, French, Twi, Hindi, English; voice command being added for non-literate users. (c) Deployed through extension workers who own the device. | Reliant on trained ML; not a data-entry tool. |
| 20 | **Plantix** (PEAT) | Photo diagnosis + community + input shop | Smallholders, mainly India | Android | (a) 18 languages; photo → diagnosis → treatment in one flow. (b) Community Q&A and video tutorials for low literacy. | Requires data connection (2G+). |
| 21 | **Farmer.Chat** (Digital Green) | AI advisory for extension agents | Extension agents, lead farmers (India, Kenya, Ethiopia) | WhatsApp / Telegram / web | (a) Deploy on channels people already have – no app install. (b) Voice notes in + text-to-speech out in six languages; images accepted. (c) Deployed to *agents*, not farmers, as a human-review layer. (d) 20-30 s video tutorials and starter prompts because older users/women struggled to phrase queries. | Data cost is the binding constraint, not literacy. |
| 22 | **Hello Tractor** (Nigeria/Kenya) | Tractor booking | Smallholders via booking agents | Android app + agents | (a) **Booking-agent model**: a trusted local intermediary enters farmer details (location, farm size, date) on the farmer's behalf. (b) Land-measurement tool is the agents' most-used feature. | Farmer never touches the app – ok for services, but farmers lose visibility. |

Other checked but not tabulated: Alltech E-CO2 (assessor-led 2-3 h farm visit, report within 5 days, benchmark + recommendations – a consultancy model, no self-entry); TechFit (ILRI, workshop scoring matrix companion to FEAST, not software); Sandy/Trinity AgTech (5-step set-up, API links to farm software, field-level – paid, arable-first).

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## 2. Farm-description sequences observed

- **Cool Farm Tool livestock**: General (system type, organic, reference period, name) → Production/Milk (breed → default weights, yield, fat/protein defaults) → Herd table → Grazing (days, h/day, type, quality per category; grassland area + fertiliser) → Feed (DMI per feed per category *or* % mix) → Manure (% per MMS per category; bedding) → Energy → Transport → results/duplicate.
- **Agrecalc**: Farm report (name, year-end, avg temperature default 10 °C, sectors, groups, classes, enterprise type) → Land & Crops (areas, fertiliser, imported manures, transferred manure, pesticides, production & use, crop→livestock allocation, biochar, soil C) → Livestock (numbers & weights → purchases/sales/deaths → performance → manure → purchased feed → bedding → ration) → Energy & Waste → Results (whole-farm, enterprise KPIs, charts, benchmarks).
- **GLEAM-i**: Start (name, region, country → defaults loaded) → Herd → Feed → Manure → Results (Baseline vs Scenario).
- **COMET-Farm animal ag**: Project → Animal location (state/county) → select animal categories/types (+ groups) → per type: Animal details (monthly head, weight) → Feed (monthly, or Feed Calculator) → Housing (% time/month) → Manure follow-ups → Scenario (optional) → Report.
- **FEAST**: Project → Site (country, currency, pasture nutrition defaults, custom feed sources) → Focus group tabs → Individual interview tabs (General, Property/Income, Livestock holding, Crops, Fodder & diet, Livestock sales, Milk, Feed availability by month).
- **Carbon Navigator**: select farmer (prefilled) → 5 base facts → six measures Current/Target → Update → chart vs peers → advice sheet → print.
- **CAP'2ER**: Diagnostic (L1 27 items / L2 150 items) → positioning vs reference group → action plan → monitoring/simulation.

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## 3. Synthesis 1 — the 10 most transferable patterns for iCLEANED

1. **Two explicit depth levels with published defaults (CAP'2ER L1/L2; MLA Quick Start; GLEAM-i defaults; EX-ACT Tier 1/2).** Offer "Quick (≈30 min, ~25 questions)" and "Detailed" modes. Quick mode fills everything else from region/system defaults and *shows the list of assumptions it made*. Apply on Home (mode choice per scenario) and surface the assumption list on Check & run.
2. **Set-up wizard that prunes later screens (Agrecalc report set-up; COMET category selection).** Ask up front which species, systems and plot types exist; only those rows/cards appear in Herds, Feeds, Manure. Apply on Home → Location: "What's on this farm?" checklist.
3. **Herd as one table of fixed categories with counts and weights, breed-driven defaults (CFT Herd; Agrecalc classes; FEAST livestock holding).** Fixed rows (e.g. lactating cows, dry cows, heifers, calves, bulls, draught) × {number, avg live weight}; pick breed → weights, milk yield, fat % prefill and stay editable. Running total of head and TLU (GLEAM-i "total animal numbers" live cell). Apply on Herds & animal groups.
4. **Percent-share rows with a live 100 % check, coloured green/red (GLEAM-i ration & MMS; Agrecalc red cells; COMET housing/solids; CFT manure).** Use for manure system shares, diet shares per season, time-on-plot shares. Apply on Manure & inputs and Feeding plan.
5. **Season × month mapping and per-season ordinal scores (FEAST rainfall 0-5, feed availability 0-10; COMET monthly tables with copy-across arrows).** Seasons defined by clicking months; a diet or grazing pattern entered once and copied to other seasons with one action. Apply on Seasons and Feeding plan.
6. **Persistent progress roadmap with four states and a locked Run button (COMET roadmap; Agrecalc Next/auto-save; FCC section toggles).** Header shows each iCLEANED section as complete / incomplete / unavailable-with-reason / current; Check & run lists the blockers. Auto-save on Next.
7. **Location → auto-derived climate/soil, with edit affordance (COMET SSURGO/PRISM; Agrecalc soil C by postcode; EX-ACT climate/moisture/soil choice).** Pin on map or pick admin unit → temperature, rainfall, AEZ, soil class prefilled and marked "from map – edit". Apply on Location & climate; draw or GPS-walk plots as simple polygons with area auto-computed (farmOS, FieldView, Hello Tractor agents' land tool).
8. **Live or near-live results panel and side-by-side scenario comparison (FCC live CO2e; GLEAM-i Baseline vs Scenario with % change; CFT "save as" duplicate; Carbon Navigator current vs target).** Duplicate a scenario, change one thing, compare. Apply on Home/scenarios (duplicate) and Results (two-column, % deltas, regional reference band).
9. **Contextual help on every field plus a printable data-collection form that mirrors the screens (CFT hover "i" and notes box; FCC collation spreadsheet; FEAST printable forms; COMET data-entry spreadsheets).** Ship a one-page paper/PDF checklist in the same order as the UI so an enumerator can interview first and key later, offline. Apply globally; the checklist becomes the FEAST-style field form.
10. **Advisor-on-behalf-of-farmer with consent and a validation step (Carbon Navigator SMS code; Agrecalc consultant validators; CAP'2ER certified data collection; Hello Tractor booking agents).** Accounts have farms; a "collected by / farmer consent recorded" stamp; an optional reviewer flag before results are shared.

### 3b. Screen-by-screen application map

| iCLEANED screen | Patterns to apply (source) | Concrete proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Home / scenarios | Farm → scenario hierarchy with duplicate (CFT "save as", COMET duplicate); Quick vs Detailed (CAP'2ER); roadmap (COMET) | Card per farm; each scenario card shows mode, completeness %, last saved; "Duplicate as what-if" action; "Collect on paper first" link to the printable form |
| Location & climate | Location → auto climate/soil (COMET, Agrecalc postcode, EX-ACT); admin-unit fallback (Farmer.Chat data-cost lesson) | Country → district pickers first; optional map pin; derived temperature, rainfall, AEZ, soil shown as "from map — edit" chips |
| Plots | Draw/GPS polygon with area auto-computed (farmOS, FieldView, Hello Tractor); minimal required fields (Farmbrite) | Add plot needs only name + type + area (typed or drawn); slope/soil default from location; bulk "same as previous plot" |
| Seasons | Months assigned to seasons; ordinal rainfall (FEAST); copy across months (COMET) | 12-month strip; click-drag to assign season; 0-5 rain score per month optional; defaults from AEZ |
| Herds & animal groups | Fixed category table with counts/weights, breed defaults (CFT, Agrecalc, FEAST); live totals (GLEAM-i); groups only when management differs (COMET) | One table per species; breed → weight/yield defaults; running head + TLU total; "Split group" only if diet/manure differ |
| Feeds | Feed library by category with local names; custom feed discouraged but possible with reference (FEAST, Agrecalc list) | Search-first picker grouped as forage / crop residue / concentrate / by-product; "add local feed" requires DM % and CP with source; link to plot if home-grown |
| Manure & inputs | % time per MMS per category with 100 % check (CFT, Agrecalc, GLEAM-i); grazing deposition derived (CFT) | Short MMS list (≤6) as slider rows summing to 100 % per group; fertiliser as product or "N only" pseudo-product (Agrecalc) |
| Feeding plan | Season × group ration as % shares or ordinal availability (GLEAM-i, FEAST); copy to other seasons (COMET arrows) | Matrix: rows = groups, columns = seasons; cell opens ration editor with green/red total; "copy to all seasons" |
| Check & run | Locked report until complete (COMET); list of defaults in use (CAP'2ER forfaits, GLEAM-i default column) | Blockers list with deep links; "Assumptions you are carrying" list of fields still on default; run is the only network step |
| Results | Baseline vs scenario with % deltas and regional reference (GLEAM-i); 3 detail levels, PDF/CSV, share (FCC, CFT share code); peers/targets (Carbon Navigator) | Two-column compare; Summary / Detailed / Full tabs; export PDF for farmer; anonymised share code |

## 4. Synthesis 2 — low-bandwidth / low-literacy patterns (FEAST, Nuru, iCow, Farmer.Chat, Hello Tractor)

- **Offline-first with deferred sync** (FEAST desktop app with export file; AgriWebb/Herdwatch/Breedr mobile). For a web tool: local storage of the draft, explicit "Saved on this device / synced" indicator, and the model run as the only network step **(inferred design consequence)**.
- **Ordinal scores instead of quantities where farmers cannot give numbers** (FEAST 0-5 rainfall, 0-10 feed availability summing to 10, 0-4 issue severity). Use for seasonal feed availability and pasture quality; convert to model quantities behind the scenes with visible defaults.
- **Intermediary-centred design**: Nuru phones given to extension officers; Farmer.Chat deployed to agents as a human-review layer; Hello Tractor booking agents. Design iCLEANED for the enumerator/adviser as the hands-on user, with a farmer-facing printable summary.
- **Local units and names**: FEAST defines custom units by kg equivalence and marks them "local"; use debe/bundle/bag with a conversion the enumerator sets once per site.
- **Language and voice**: Nuru advice offline in Swahili/French/Twi; Farmer.Chat voice-in/TTS-out; iCow parity across SMS/USSD/app. Minimum for iCLEANED: short plain-English labels, icon + label for categories, glossary tooltips; Swahili/French/Amharic/Vietnamese label files as a later step **(inferred)**.
- **Keep page weight tiny**: iCow and USSD show the floor; Farmer.Chat found *data cost*, not literacy, was the binding constraint. Avoid map tiles by default (offer "pick district" first, map second), no heavy chart libraries on entry screens **(inferred)**.
- **Short video/prompt onboarding** (Farmer.Chat 20-30 s clips, Plantix tutorials, Ruminati in-person onboarding events).

## 5. Synthesis 3 — how the best tools handle "unknown" and defaults

- **Default is always visible and editable, never blank**: CFT fills breed weights, fat/protein, feed source region; Agrecalc prepopulates ADG, digestibility, CP, manure N/P; GLEAM-i loads a full country default set and colour-codes locked default vs editable baseline; EX-ACT drop-downs of IPCC defaults.
- **Defaults are explained and scoped**: CAP'2ER publishes each Level-1 forfait; Agrecalc says "use farmer estimates or industry default values … consultants will assess feasibility"; CFT's guide gives DMI ranges by yield class as sanity anchors.
- **Leave-blank rule is explicit**: FCC "if not applicable, leave it out"; EX-ACT "normal for many cells to remain empty"; Agrecalc soil C "leave blank and we use postcode default". Blank = default, not zero.
- **Alternative entry routes for the same fact**: Agrecalc offers "Urea / Other N / Other P" pseudo-products when fertiliser brands are unknown; CFT offers precise DMI or % mix; MLA Quick Start derives class distribution from a single total.
- **Derived quantities shown back**: GLEAM-i total animals; CFT grazing-derived grass DMI and pasture manure "already calculated – do not add again".
- For iCLEANED: every field gets a three-state control – *entered*, *default (source shown)*, *don't know → use default*; the Check & run page lists all fields still on default so the user sees the uncertainty they are carrying **(inferred synthesis)**.

## 6. Synthesis 4 — multi-farm, multi-user and advisor workflows

- **Hierarchy**: FEAST Project → Site → Group → Respondent, with site-level facts (country, currency, pasture nutrition) inherited downward; COMET project → fields/animal types with copy-between-fields; CFT one farm per account by default, multi-farm switch for members; Agrecalc farm → reports (years) → enterprises/groups.
- **Roles**: Agrecalc farmer / consultant / supply-chain users with consultant validation; Carbon Navigator adviser dashboard listing authorised vs unauthorised clients; Ruminati producer accounts plus corporate VISION dashboards fed only by opt-in sharing.
- **Consent and privacy**: Carbon Navigator SMS authorisation code; CFT footprints private by default, shared via share code with farm name optionally removed; Ruminati data revocable at any time.
- **Reuse across years/scenarios**: CFT "save as"; COMET duplicate project and copy management; FCC compare reports; Agrecalc "future entries ~1 h" because structure persists.
- For iCLEANED: Organisation → Site (defaults) → Farm → Scenario (year or what-if); collector and farmer fields on each farm; share-code export of anonymised results **(inferred application)**.

## 7. Synthesis 5 — how livestock GHG calculators structure herd and manure inputs

| Aspect | CFT | Agrecalc | CAP'2ER | GLEAM-i | COMET-Farm | Ruminati/MLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herd unit | 6 fixed age/sex categories per module | Class list per group (10 cattle classes) with definitions | Animal categories with N-excretion forfaits (L1) | Reproductive adults + parameters → derived cohorts | Animal types (+ up to 3-5 groups) with monthly head/weight | Species totals; regional class split (Quick Start) |
| Numbers | Average on-farm + sold + purchased (deaths excluded) | Average over 12 months; opening/closing weights; purchases, sales, deaths, KO % | Effectifs par catégorie | Adult count; fertility/mortality/replacement | Monthly population | Annual average |
| Weights | Live weight per category; dairy prefilled from breed | Opening/closing per class; weaning weight for lambs | Forfait by category | Parameter defaults by country | Monthly average, lbs | Regional default |
| Performance | Optional KPIs (age at 1st calving, calving interval, replacement) shown in Performance tab | Required: age 1st calving, calving %, birth weight, ADG (prepopulated) | Level 2 only | Fertility, mortality, weight at slaughter | Milk fat % monthly | – |
| Feed | DMI per feed per category or % mix; grazing-derived grass auto-added | Purchased feed by category/type; ration digestibility & CP prefilled | Average concentrate per system type (L1) | Detailed ration % by feedstuff with summary by category | Feed Calculator: as-fed kg/head/day by month → DMI/CP/fat/ash | – |
| Grazing | Days + h/day + pasture type + quality per category | % time grazing in-bye / hill | Housing days forfait | Implicit in system type | % time on pasture/range per month | Region |
| Manure | % per MMS per category; grazing time already accounted | % time per MMS per class = 100 %; % exported; transfer to crops by % | One housing type + one slurry store fixed at L1; spreading method & delay | % per IPCC MMS per species/system/herd | Housing → separator → solids/liquids % tables, storage length, temperature | Simplified |
| Check | – | Red cells until 100 % | – | Green/red/yellow totals | Red warning at ≠100 %; grey→green accordions | – |

Common denominators worth adopting: fixed category rows; average-count semantics stated in the UI (snapshot vs opening/closing average, with both illustrated in CFT's guide); manure as *time-share* per category across a short IPCC-based list; grazing deposition derived from grazing time rather than asked; performance KPIs optional but displayed.

## 8. Synthesis 6 — five things NOT to copy

1. **Spreadsheet-first delivery** (GLEAM-i, EX-ACT): macros, colour codes as the only affordance, no validation beyond cell colour. Keep colour codes but as a secondary cue with text state.
2. **Making the user do the model's arithmetic** (Agrecalc pesticide area ÷ sprays; Agrecalc lime annualisation; CFT pre-averaging herd numbers by hand). Ask for the raw fact and compute.
3. **Mandatory two-pathway detours** (CFT: assess feed crops in the crop module, save as feed item, come back). Keep feeds and plots in one flow; link plot → feed inside the Feeds screen.
4. **Deep conditional nesting for manure** (COMET housing → separator → solids/liquids → storage length → temperature). iCLEANED's context needs ~6 MMS options and a % time share; put the rest behind "Detailed".
5. **Dependence on infrastructure the user does not have** (Carbon Navigator national databases; FieldView CLU polygons; Herdwatch registry sync; Plantix always-on data). Design for paper-first, offline draft, admin-unit fallback before map.

Also avoid: 9+ equal-weight sections presented as a wall (FCC/Agrecalc first-time 2-2.5 h); permanent cascade delete with a single warning (FEAST); adviser-only access with no farmer-facing summary (Carbon Navigator, Alltech).

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## Sources

- Cool Farm Tool – Livestock (Beef & Dairy) user guide: https://coolfarmsupport.zohodesk.eu/portal/en/kb/articles/cool-farm-tool-user-guide-livestock-beef-dairy ; FAQ: https://coolfarm.org/frequently-asked-questions/
- Agrecalc Cloud User Guide (Dec 2023): https://www.agrecalc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Agrecalc-User-Guide_AgrecalcCloud_20231201-with-links.pdf ; user roles: https://www.agrecalc.com/home/users/consultant-user/
- CAP'2ER methodological guide (Idele): https://www.ferme-laitiere-bas-carbone.fr/medium/W1siZiIsIjIwMTgvMDYvMTMvMWptOW04OHN5bV9ndWlkZV9tX3Rob2RvbG9naXF1ZV9jYXAyZXIucGRmIl1d/guide-m-thodologique-cap2er.pdf?sha=b87e23d906901a87 ; brochure: https://www.inn-ovin.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CAP2ER-pour-WEB-1.pdf ; https://idele.fr/detail-article/cap2err
- GLEAM-i 2.0 User Guide rev. 3 (FAO 2017): https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/gleam/docs/GLEAM-i_User_guide_2_Revision_3.pdf ; web version: https://foodandagricultureorganization.shinyapps.io/GLEAMV3_Public/
- COMET-Farm Manual: https://comet-farm.com/COMET-Farm_Manual.pdf ; Animal Agriculture knowledge base: https://cometfarm.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/folders/64000135250 ; Defining groups: https://cometfarm.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/64000255619-defining-groups-in-animal-agriculture
- Farm Carbon Calculator how-to guide: https://farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/How-to-guide-carbon-calculator-Nov-2021.pdf ; https://calculator.farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk/
- Carbon Navigator User Manual (Teagasc/Bord Bia): https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/about/our-organisation/Instruction-Carbon-Navigator-V2.pdf ; https://www.bordbia.ie/farmers-growers/get-involved/farmer-feedback-report/reducing-your-farms-carbon-footprint/
- FEAST data application user manual (ILRI 2015): https://hdl.handle.net/10568/66319 ; https://www.ilri.org/feed-assessment-tool-feast ; repository: https://feastdata.ilri.org/help
- EX-ACT Quick Guidance (FAO): https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/ex_act/pdf/EX-ACT_quick_guidance.pdf
- Ruminati: https://ruminati.com.au/ ; https://thefarmermagazine.com.au/ruminati-a-farmer-led-carbon-emissions-calculator/ ; https://nakatomi.com/work/ruminati
- MLA Carbon Calculator: https://carbon-calculator.mla.com.au/ ; Quick Start lesson: https://elearning.mla.com.au/lessons/farm-information/
- Farmers Weekly comparison of four calculators: https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/business-management/agricultural-transition/4-popular-carbon-calculators-for-farms-compared
- Alltech E-CO2: https://www.alltech.com/alltech-e-co2 ; https://alltecheco2-test.azurewebsites.net/ea-environmental-assessments/
- AgriWebb mobile app: https://www.agriwebb.com/mobile-app/ ; Herdwatch: https://herdwatch.com/livestock-apps/ ; Breedr: https://www.breedr.co/livestock-app ; Farmbrite: https://help.farmbrite.com/help/getting-started-with-livestock ; farmOS mapping: https://farmos.org/guide/mapping/ ; Climate FieldView field set-up: https://climate.com/en-us/resources/getting-started/fieldview-101-overview/map-your-fields.html
- iCow: https://icow.co.ke/icow-history/ ; https://www.engineeringforchange.org/solutions/product/icow/
- PlantVillage Nuru: https://bigdata.cgiar.org/inspire/inspire-challenge-2017/pest-and-disease-monitoring-by-using-artificial-intelligence/ ; https://cipotato.org/blog/smartphone-app-help-farmers-control-potato-sweetpotato-diseases/
- Plantix: https://www.engineeringforchange.org/solutions/product/plantix/
- Farmer.Chat (Digital Green) paper: https://arxiv.org/html/2409.08916v1
- Hello Tractor: https://techpoint.africa/feature/hello-tractor-smallholder-farmers-technology/ ; https://www.unsgsa.org/stories/hello-tractor-revolutionizing-farming-and-fueling-economic-empowerment-through-digital-financing-smallholders-kenya
- TechFit (ILRI): https://www.ilri.org/knowledge/publications/techfit-tool-prioritize-feed-technology-interventions