Add and Manage Your Fields in SemaiSens

Define field boundaries by drawing on the map, uploading GeoJSON or Shapefiles, or using the API — then manage and organize your fields over time.

Fields are the core unit of the SemaiSens platform — every piece of satellite imagery, vegetation index calculation, and crop health analysis is scoped to a field boundary you define. Accurate field boundaries ensure that analysis results reflect only your land and not neighboring parcels, roads, or non-crop areas. This guide covers how to add fields using three different methods and how to manage them once they’re registered.

Use the most precise boundary data you have available. Even small inaccuracies — such as including a road or fence line — can skew index averages and make stress zones harder to identify. If you have boundaries from a prior farm management system, export them as GeoJSON or Shapefile and upload them directly.

Adding a Field

Choose the method that best fits your workflow. All three methods create the same field record — the difference is only in how you define the boundary.

Draw on Map

Use the interactive map editor in the dashboard to draw a field boundary by clicking around its perimeter. This method works well for fields you’re adding for the first time and don’t have existing boundary data for.

1. Open the Fields page

   Log in to app.example.com and click Fields in the left sidebar. Then click Add Field in the top right.

2. Select Draw Boundary

   In the Add Field dialog, choose Draw on Map. The map zooms to your approximate region based on your profile settings.

3. Navigate to your field

   Use the search bar to find your farm’s address or coordinates, or pan and zoom the map manually. Switch to satellite view using the layer toggle in the top right corner of the map for the clearest boundary reference.

4. Draw the boundary

   Click once on the map to place your first boundary point, then continue clicking around the field perimeter. Click the first point again (or double-click the last point) to close the polygon. The enclosed area is displayed in acres or hectares based on your profile settings.

5. Enter field details

   Fill in the field name and any optional properties (see the Field Properties table below), then click Save Field.

You can edit a drawn boundary at any time by selecting the field and clicking Edit Boundary. Drag individual vertices to adjust the shape, or add new vertices by clicking any edge segment.

Upload GeoJSON

If you already have field boundary data from a GIS tool, another farm management platform, or a previous crop year, upload it directly. The platform accepts GeoJSON (.geojson or .json) and Shapefile archives (.zip containing .shp, .dbf, and .prj files).

1. Prepare your file

   Ensure your boundary file uses the WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) coordinate reference system. If your file uses a different projection, reproject it using QGIS, ArcGIS, or an online converter before uploading.

   For GeoJSON, your boundary should be a Feature or FeatureCollection containing Polygon or MultiPolygon geometries. For Shapefiles, compress all component files (.shp, .dbf, .shx, .prj) into a single .zip archive.

2. Open the upload dialog

   Click Fields → Add Field → Upload File in the dashboard.

3. Select and upload your file

   Click Choose File, select your .geojson or .zip, and click Upload. The platform parses the geometry and renders a preview of the boundary on the map.

4. Review and confirm

   Verify the boundary preview matches your intended field. If the file contains multiple features, select which features to import. Enter a name for each field and click Save Fields.

Uploading a Shapefile without a .prj projection file may result in an incorrectly positioned boundary. Always include the .prj file in your zip archive.

API

Register fields programmatically using the POST /fields endpoint. This is the fastest method when you have many fields to add or are building an automated integration with an existing data source.

Send a POST request with a JSON body containing the field name and a GeoJSON Polygon as the boundary:

cURL

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/v1/fields \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "North Corn Field",
    "crop_type": "corn",
    "planting_date": "2024-05-01",
    "boundary": {
      "type": "Polygon",
      "coordinates": [[
        [-93.123, 41.456],
        [-93.118, 41.456],
        [-93.118, 41.461],
        [-93.123, 41.461],
        [-93.123, 41.456]
      ]]
    }
  }'

The response returns the full field object including the assigned id, which you’ll use in subsequent imagery and analysis requests.

Field Properties

When adding or updating a field, you can provide the following properties. Only name is required — all others are optional but improve analysis accuracy and reporting.

Property	Type	Required	Description
name	string	Yes	A human-readable label for the field (for example, “North Corn Field” or “Block 4 – Soybeans”).
crop_type	string	No	The primary crop planted in the field (for example, corn, soybeans, wheat). Used to apply crop-specific growth-stage benchmarks.
planting_date	string (ISO 8601)	No	The date the crop was planted (for example, 2024-05-01). Enables growing-degree-day calculations and growth-stage tracking.
harvest_date	string (ISO 8601)	No	The expected or actual harvest date. Used to mark the field as inactive after harvest and to anchor seasonal trend reports.
notes	string	No	Free-text notes visible in the dashboard — useful for recording soil type, irrigation method, or field history.

Managing Your Fields

Once your fields are registered, you can edit, archive, or delete them from the Fields page in the dashboard.

Edit a field — Click the field name to open the field detail page, then click Edit. You can update the name, crop type, planting date, harvest date, and notes. To redraw or replace the boundary, click Edit Boundary.

Archive a field — Archiving removes a field from your active field list without deleting its historical imagery or analysis data. This is the recommended approach for fields you no longer actively farm but want to retain records for. Open the field, click the ⋯ menu, and select Archive Field.

Delete a field — Deleting a field permanently removes the boundary and all associated imagery and analysis results. This action cannot be undone. Open the field, click the ⋯ menu, select Delete Field, and confirm the prompt.

Free plan accounts are limited to 5 active fields at a time. Archived fields do not count toward this limit. Upgrade to a Pro or Enterprise plan to register unlimited active fields. See Account Setup for plan details.