Before you start
- Use AcreTrace 0.13.0 or newer; this release is currently available to authorised internal testers.
- Save or import an area field first. Check its net usable area and exclusions.
- In Settings, choose UK mixed (the default) for acres with metric distances, Imperial / US for acres with feet and miles, or Metric for hectares. Have the application rates and purchase prices you intend to use. AcreTrace calculates from your entries; it does not prescribe rates. All prices are GBP.
Step by step
- 1
Open the activity history
Open the field from Field Register, choose Activities & costs, then Add activity.
- 2
Describe the work
Choose or enter an activity type, check the date, and add an optional title and notes. Check the treated area: it starts from the net field area in acres for UK mixed and Imperial / US, or hectares for Metric. Reduce it for a partial-field job.
- 3
Add each product
Choose Add product / input. Enter its name, category and rate per acre or hectare. Choose litres, millilitres, kilograms, grams or tonnes to match the rate. The current release does not accept pounds or gallons, and its prices are GBP rather than US dollars.
- 4
Enter the purchase price
Enter the price, purchase quantity and compatible purchase unit. For a £32 bag of 25 kg, enter 32, 25 and kg. For £420 per tonne, enter 420, 1 and tonnes. The cost is for the portion used; it does not round up to whole packs.
- 5
Check the calculation
UK example: 15 acres at 100 kg/acre needs 1,500 kg. At £420 per tonne, the input costs £630, or £42/acre. Metric example: 6 ha at 250 kg/ha also needs 1,500 kg and costs £630, or £105/ha. These are separate examples, not equivalent areas or rates. Add further products and use Add additional cost for labour, machinery or other charges.
- 6
Save and review
Check the total, input lines and cost per acre and hectare, then save. Select the activity in history to view its detail, Edit activity or Delete activity. Deletion requires confirmation.
- 7
Review yearly spend and back up
Select a calendar year to see spend by activity type and input category, with additional costs shown separately. Annual cost per area uses the current whole-field net area; each historical activity keeps its saved treated area. Create a complete backup to protect the records.
If you get stuck
If Save is unavailable, check the displayed validation message and complete or correct the input lines. Rate and purchase units must both describe weight or both describe liquid volume.
Remeasuring a field does not change a saved activity's treated area. Change that area explicitly in the activity editor only when correcting the activity itself.
Existing PDF survey reports and mapping exports do not include activity history or cost summaries. Complete backups do; restore with 0.13.0 or newer.
Deleting a field deletes its activities too. Duplicating a field does not copy its expenditure.