Articles

Development and Application of the Crop Manager Data Platform

The Open Crop Manager platform has collected over 15,000 scouting reports across 14 North Central Soybean States since 2022, providing growers with diagnostic aids and supporting research to improve soybean yield and profitability through data-driven insights.

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Updated:

December 15, 2025

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Soybean plant showing typical symptoms of white mold; Image Source: P. Esker, Penn State Extension

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Investigators

Paul Esker, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Field Crops Plant Pathologist, Penn State
Shawn Conley, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Soybean Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Spyridon Mourtzinis, Ph.D., AgStat
Miranda DePriest, Computational Scientist, Penn State
Santosh Sanjel, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Scholar, Penn State

Background

The Open Crop Manager (OCM) platform was developed to collect and organize georeferenced data on stressors, pests, diseases, and management practices directly from growers’ fields, reflecting real-world commercial and operational conditions. These data support research aimed at improving data-driven insights for increasing soybean yield and profitability by generating high-value, geographically diverse big data. The data provide the ground truth needed to calibrate and validate automated scouting technologies.

Objectives

To develop and maintain a comprehensive data platform that enables soybean growers to document field conditions, receive diagnostic reports, and contribute to research projects across the North Central region.
To facilitate precision agriculture modeling that drives soybean productivity, profitability, and sustainability.

Methods

The OCM platform gathers data through both mobile and web-based applications. Contributors submit scouting reports that detail current growth stages, observations of abiotic stressors, diseases, pests, weeds, and beneficial species. The platform monitors 29 abiotic stressors, 38 diseases, 34 pests, 49 weeds, and 21 beneficial species. Field shape files enable remote collection of weather and soil data, while production surveys record yield outcomes, seed choices, planting dates, and other management details. In May 2025, we launched a beta version of a mobile app to collaborators, allowing real-time data collection in the field with offline capabilities and diagnostic support for diseases and nutrient deficiencies.

Results

Platform Growth and Data Collection (2020–2025). The OCM platform has experienced substantial growth in the North Central region: 15,641 scouting reports documenting field conditions across multiple growing seasons; 13,899 images (3,279 images of abiotic stressors, 2,560 of diseases, 5,282 of pests, 2,778 of weeds); 439 field shape files enabling remote monitoring of weather and soil conditions; and 685 production surveys with detailed management and yield data. Over 100 contributors from 14 states actively participate in data collection. The geographic coverage includes 14 states across the North Central region, with at least 12 fields having data spanning multiple years, predominantly in Pennsylvania. Participating states include Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Mobile App Development. The OCM mobile app beta launched in May 2025, with core features including field scouting report submission with offline capability and diagnostic help for diseases and nutrient deficiencies. Upcoming features will include production survey functionality with yield file uploads and field and farm management tools with shapefile creation capability.

Integration with Research Projects. The OCM data contribute to several ongoing research initiatives:

Agroptimizer Evaluation: Testing machine-learning-based decision support tool recommendations across the North Central region.
Satellite-Assisted Scouting: Implementing real-time field monitoring using satellite imagery to detect areas with low normalized vegetative index values that may be linked to reduced yield. Growers receive notifications every 7 to 10 days or when cloud-free images become available.
Defoliation Assessment Tool: Integrating open-source leaf defoliation estimators to assess herbivory levels and provide growth-stage-specific action thresholds with color-coded recommendations.

Conclusion

The OCM platform has successfully established a comprehensive data collection network spanning 14 states and engaging over 100 contributors. With more than 15,000 scouting reports and nearly 14,000 images, OCM provides valuable diagnostic support to soybean growers while generating data that drive research on yield optimization and profitability. The mobile app expansion and integration with tools like Agroptimizer and satellite monitoring position OCM as a key resource for data-driven soybean management across the North Central region.

Acknowledgements

Funding provided by the North Central Soybean Research Program and the Pennsylvania Soybean Board. We thank all state collaborators and participating growers for their contributions to the OCM platform.