The historical climate interface in IdeasFarm integrates daily meteorological information for the farm with water and management indicators. Its purpose is to provide a quantitative view of the general climate–hydrological status and the operational suitability of the system for activities such as grazing, tillage, and fertilization.
All data are calculated at the farm level; they do not describe a specific paddock or crop, but rather an average and operational condition of the production system within the date range selected in the upper filter.
In the upper right corner of the screen is the “From – To” date selector. The user can choose any date range available in the climate database.
The rest of the interface (summary, chart, and table) is recalculated based on the selected period.
The number of records shown in the table indicates how many days fall within the selected range. That same number of days is used for the totals, averages, and counts shown in the summary.
In the upper left panel, a statistical summary of the currently filtered date range is displayed. This block allows a quick understanding of how climate and water conditions have behaved on the farm during that period.
| Total precipitation | This is the sum of the daily precipitation recorded during the selected period. It represents the total volume of water that entered the system as rainfall, without yet distinguishing how much of that input was actually usable by the soil. |
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| ET₀ (Evapotranspiration) | Corresponds to the sum of the estimated evapotranspiration for the farm over the same period. This value reflects the accumulated atmospheric water demand: how much water the atmosphere has attempted to extract from the soil–surface–vegetation system. |
| Water balance | This is the net result between effective precipitation and evapotranspiration over the analyzed period. A positive balance indicates that the system, as a whole, has tended to gain water; a negative balance indicates that it has been drawing water from its internal reserves. |
| Average soil moisture | Shows the estimated mean soil moisture value over the selected date range. It is an indicator of the general water status of the system, useful for classifying the period as wet, intermediate, or dry. |
| Moderate heat stress | Indicates how many days in the period have been classified within a manageable heat stress range, according to the heat stress index. It is presented as “days in range / total days in the period”. |
| Days suitable for tillage, grazing, and fertilization | Each of these fields indicates how many days in the period meet the “suitable” condition according to the corresponding index. The format is “suitable days / total days in the period”. They allow evaluation of whether, during the analyzed interval, conditions were mainly favorable or restrictive for each type of activity. |
In the upper right area, a line chart is shown representing, for each day in the selected range:
This chart allows visualization of the sequence of rainfall events and water demand. By comparing the effective precipitation curve with the evapotranspiration curve, it is possible to identify:
Joint interpretation of the chart and the aggregated water balance helps determine whether the period has generally been one of recharge, equilibrium, or water depletion.
The lower table presents daily details of climatic, hydrological, and management variables for each day of the selected period. Each row corresponds to a date and each column to a specific indicator.
| Date | Day to which the data correspond. When the value comes from a forecast rather than a historical record, it is marked with a specific label (for example, “Forecast”). |
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| Maximum (MAX) and minimum (MIN) temperature | Indicate the thermal extremes of the day. These temperatures are inputs for the evapotranspiration model and the heat stress index. A wide thermal range and high maximum values increase evaporative demand and thermal load on the production system. |
| Precipitation (mm) | Total volume of rainfall recorded on that day. It is an input variable describing the gross water input to the system, but it does not by itself indicate the fraction that will be useful to the soil. |
| Cloud cover (%) | Estimated percentage of cloud cover. Cloudiness regulates the solar radiation reaching the surface and therefore the energy available for evaporation and transpiration processes. |
| Wind | Average daily wind speed. Wind increases the atmosphere’s ability to remove water vapor, intensifying evapotranspiration when combined with high temperatures and moderate or low relative humidity. |
| Relative humidity (%) |
Ratio between the water vapor present in the air and the maximum possible at that temperature. High relative humidity reduces direct evaporation, while lower humidity favors higher evaporative demand. Combined with temperature, it conditions the level of heat stress.
These variables define the daily climatic environment and are the basis for calculating hydrological indicators and operational indices. |
| Effective precipitation (mm) |
This is the fraction of total precipitation that actually infiltrates and becomes available in the soil profile. Losses due to runoff, saturation, or low infiltration are discounted in its calculation.
This indicator represents the useful daily water input and is the value used in the farm water balance. Two days with the same total rainfall may have different effective precipitation depending on prior soil moisture conditions and event intensity. In daily analysis, effective precipitation should always be compared with evapotranspiration to determine whether the system is recharging or continuing to consume its reserves. |
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| Evapotranspiration (mm) |
Describes the total water loss from the soil–surface–vegetation system to the atmosphere during the day. It is the sum of evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plant cover.
This value represents atmospheric water demand under the day’s climatic conditions. It is estimated from temperature, radiation (direct or derived from cloud cover), wind, and relative humidity. High evapotranspiration indicates that the atmosphere can extract water rapidly; low evapotranspiration indicates moderate demand. Interpretation should always be made in conjunction with effective precipitation, water balance, and soil moisture, since the same level of demand can be sustainable or critical depending on stored water availability. |
| Water demand (mm) | Quantifies the potential daily deficit when evapotranspiration is not offset by effective precipitation. A high value indicates that, on that day, the atmosphere demanded more water than entered the system. It is an indicator of water pressure and helps identify periods when the system begins to operate under stress, even if soil moisture has not yet dropped to very low levels. |
| Water balance (mm) |
This is the net difference between effective precipitation and evapotranspiration for each day. A positive balance indicates that the system gained water during that day; a negative balance indicates loss of stored water.
Although the daily value is relevant, its main interpretation should focus on the trend over the selected period, since a prolonged sequence of negative balances reflects a progressive drying process of the production system. |
| Soil moisture (%) |
Estimate of the relative level of water stored in the soil profile at the farm scale.
High values indicate wet or near-saturated soils, with greater risk of compaction and lower load-bearing capacity. Low values indicate depletion of available water and reduced capacity to buffer days of high evaporative demand. This indicator serves as a direct link between climatic behavior and management decisions: it conditions suitability for animal entry, mechanical operations, and the overall stability of the system during dry or wet periods. |
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Indices are expressed on a 0 to 100 scale. In all of them, 100 indicates the most favorable condition, except for the heat stress index, where a higher value implies greater stress. In the interface, they are represented by color bars that facilitate a traffic-light-style visual reading, but interpretation should be supported by numerical context and user experience.
| Heat stress index |
Quantifies the environmental thermal load of the day. It is built from temperature, relative humidity, and the environment’s capacity to dissipate heat.
In this index, high values mean greater stress; low values indicate a more thermally comfortable environment. It does not describe the clinical condition of livestock, but rather the intensity of the thermal environment affecting the production system. |
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| Harvest index (0–100, 100 = optimal) |
Evaluates the suitability of the day for forage utilization considering exclusively the climatic and hydrological context. It integrates water balance, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and atmospheric stability.
High values indicate favorable conditions for harvesting or grazing from a soil and climate perspective; low values signal risk of forage losses, poor harvest quality, or structural deterioration of the paddock. |
| Tillage index (0–100, 100 = optimal) |
Represents soil suitability for mechanical operations. It is mainly built from soil moisture, recent precipitation, and water balance.
High values indicate soil moisture within a range that allows work without compromising structure; low values warn of compaction or profile deformation risk. Indicative reading: 80–100 safe conditions, 50–79 operations possible with caution, below 50 not recommended. |
| Grazing index (0–100, 100 = optimal) |
Measures the suitability of the soil–surface system to withstand animal traffic without causing significant damage. It integrates soil moisture, recent water balance, effective precipitation, and drying rate.
High values indicate stable conditions for animal entry; low values indicate high risk of trampling and compaction. Indicative reading: 80–100 favorable conditions, 50–79 conditional grazing, below 50 high risk of damage. |
| Fertilization index (0–100, 100 = optimal) |
Evaluates the probability of environmental efficiency of a fertilizer application under the day’s conditions. It considers effective precipitation, water balance, soil moisture, and evaporative demand.
High values indicate conditions that reduce leaching or volatilization risk and favor nutrient uptake; low values indicate high risk of loss. Indicative reading: 80–100 high potential efficiency, 50–79 intermediate efficiency, below 50 high risk of loss. |
The climate history screen should be used as an analytical dashboard to support decision-making, not as a set of rigid rules. Correct interpretation of its indicators depends on:
When used systematically, this interface makes it possible to anticipate critical periods, plan paddock operations more accurately, and reduce reactive decisions based solely on subjective perception of the weather.