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 county, your season and the cereal you grow — 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 cereal crops, 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 maize leaves are curling and turning yellow — what could be wrong?
• How much top-dressing fertiliser should I use on my wheat?
• What do millers check before they buy my sorghum?
• When is the right time to plant finger millet in my area?

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 Kenya Cereal 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 My Crop Activity Plan. 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

• 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

• Keeps a permanent record of what you planted, where and when.
• Feeds your My Crop Activity Plan, 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 My Crop Activity Plan.
• 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 My Crop Activity Plan.
5. 5Edit or delete any crop card at any time — changes sync to the calendar instantly.

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, price-verification message and selling guidance first.
4. 4Check the buyer categories, then follow the next actions list.

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 the cereal you want to sell.
3. 3Enter the cereal, variety, 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.
• Maize · 45 bags of 90 kg · dry and graded · ready now · nearby aggregator.

If something goes wrong

• Report not appearing? Check your internet connection and try again — your details stay in the form.
• Market figures are indicative unless a verified source is shown. Confirm the current local price before agreeing a sale.

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. 2Review the area cards and reasons to see where information or action needs attention.
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

• A warning does not necessarily mean the crop is performing badly; first check whether the underlying farm records are complete and current.
• 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 your name, Kenyan town/county context and farmer category.
3. 3Add the cereal crops you grow in My Cereal Farm. Smart tools reuse those saved crop details.
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 maize farmer in Nakuru with the crop and location saved can receive guidance that uses the relevant cereal, Kenyan location and KES context.

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

• 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 Readiness & Post-Harvest for the saved cereal crop.
2. 2Answer the field-sign questions honestly; the tool uses what you report rather than guessing maturity.
3. 3Review the readiness result and practical harvest/post-harvest guidance.
4. 4When harvest is complete, record it with the crop and continue to Storage & Grain Quality.

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

• 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.

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 Crop Health & Field Problems from the sidebar.
2. 2Choose Upload, Camera or drag-and-drop a clear, well-lit photo of a leaf, flower or affected area.
3. 3Answer the simple field questions and, where available, add a useful crop photo so the guidance can use the symptoms you report.
4. 4Review the possible causes, likelihood wording and practical actions; use the linked Soil or Agronomist tools when you need deeper guidance.
5. 5Treat the result as decision support, not a certain diagnosis. Confirm serious or unclear problems with an extension officer or plant-health professional.

If something goes wrong

• If the possibilities do not fit what you see, add clearer symptom details and seek field confirmation before treatment.
• Upload fails: check your connection and that the file is under 10 MB (JPG/PNG).

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. 1Save your cereal crop and planting date in My Cereal Farm.
2. 2Open My Crop Activity Plan to see the current priority and upcoming work.
3. 3Mark an activity done when you complete it so the plan can move forward.
4. 4Check the weather adjustment when it is available; the core crop plan does not depend on weather being online.
5. 5Use Crop History and Farm Journal to review what was actually recorded.