Sandy V5.0 – Perennial Cropping and Evidence Upload Module Release Note

The latest release in Sandy v5.0 marks the second in a planned series of foundational updates to the platform’s carbon modelling and data infrastructure. This release delivers: A significant update to Perennial Cropping calculations, introducing updates to the emissions and sequestration framework. A new Evidence Upload module, supporting more structured, filterable evidence management aligned with MRV and stakeholder reporting requirements. Enhancements to Scientific Benchmarking and Mitigation Practices, now re-coded for faster performance and improved alignment with updated enterprise logic. This Knowledge Hub entry provides technical detail behind the perennial update and evidence upload module, outlining the rationale for the changes, their expected impacts, and guidance for data users.

1. Perennial Cropping Update

1.1 Why This Matters

The perennial update brings Sandy’s perennial cropping logic in line with the platform’s updated arable and horticulture calculations (released April 2025), introducing common structures, improved data processing, and significant method enhancements tailored to perennial systems.

Many scientific and methodological standards relating to perennials (e.g. tree crops, vines, cane crops) have matured in recent years. This update reflects those developments and ensures that Sandy continues to provide reliable, scientifically robust insights for farms managing long-term cropping systems.

1.2 Key Methodological Changes

Area	Update Description	Impact
Woody biomass carbon stock	Biomass change is now based on annual increments (rather than cumulative estimates), allowing more precise year-by-year sequestration reporting.	Generally shows increased sequestration in established systems.
End-of-life emissions	New modelling of CO₂ emissions from residue management at the end of life (e.g. tree removal).	May result in higher net emissions where destructive removal occurs.
Pruning	Pruning emissions now calculated in the year they occur. If supplied, actual t/ha values are used instead of percentage estimates.	Improves alignment with practice; may cause noticeable change in reported emissions for some users.
Soil carbon	Soil carbon stock is now spatially derived and adjusted by IPCC 2019 climate zone. Biomass and residue inputs have also been updated.	More accurate and globally applicable estimates; changes may vary by location.
System inputs	Inputs like residue management and inter-row cover are now year-specific, and a “planted year” is recorded per crop.	Lays groundwork for future time-series modelling.

1.3 Technical Architecture

This release introduces a new engine for perennial crops, which fully replaces the previous system. From the point of release:

Existing v1 calculations become read-only.
Any new carbon calculations for perennials will automatically use the new system.
Users will need to re-run calculations if they want to view or edit them with the new logic.

Note: While the front-end user interface remains unchanged, the back-end processes now run a completely new set of functions tailored to each enterprise type.

1.4 Standardised Method Elements with Arable/Horticulture v2

The following categories use identical methods across perennial, arable, and horticultural enterprises:

Fuel field emissions
Electricity field emissions
Crop drying and storage
Fertiliser direct and embedded emissions
Pesticide embedded emissions
In-field woody biomass changes (non-productive)

Refer to the A&H v2 Release Note (April 2025) for expected ranges and methodology crib sheets.

1.5 Data Template and UX Updates

Several data tabs and column names have changed to better support perennial cropping logic:

Cropping Data → Perennial Data
Cropping Details → Pruning Data
Soil → Soil Testing
New tab: Natural Capital Features (to support mapping of unmanaged hedgerows, trees, and other non-productive land use features)

A new tab order, improved column guidance, and adjusted data categorisation improves clarity and supports better pre-calculation validation.

See full tab changes in the “Perennials Template Changes” section of the release notes.

1.6 Result Changes: What to Expect

You may see significant changes in reported emissions or sequestration values, even when inputs remain constant. These are due to improved methods, not errors.

Drivers of change include:

Methodological updates (e.g. pruning, biomass handling)
Improved data linking and field inclusion logic (e.g. better handling of missing values)
Removal of averaged sequestration across lifecycle in favour of annualised increments

We recommend checking results at field/crop/emission-source level if validating changes. If further support is required, contact the Sustainability team.

2. Evidence Upload Module – Now Available in Sandy Setup

2.1 Overview

Sandy 5.0 introduces a new Evidence Upload module, allowing users to upload, tag, and filter evidence files across six key categories. This is designed to improve support for MRV schemes (e.g. ELMS, Landscape Recovery), on-farm recordkeeping, and stakeholder engagement.

2.2 Features and Workflow

Accessing the Module:

Navigate to Sandy Setup > Evidence Upload

Upload Categories:

General
Cropping
Operational
Soil
Fuel & Electricity
Natural Capital Features

Upload Fields:

Dropdown	Mandatory?	Notes
Farm	✅	Filters available options for all other fields
Year	✅	Enabled after selecting farm
Service (Carbon, Biodiversity, etc.)	Optional	Always enabled
Enterprise (Arable, Dairy, Woodland, etc.)	Optional	Filtered by farm

Each file is tagged with the selected filters and displayed in the Evidence List for the chosen category.

2.3 Filtering and File Management

The Evidence Upload tool includes dynamic filtering across:

Farm
Year
Service
Enterprise

Rules:

Filtering is inclusive — if a file matches any selected filter tag, it appears in the list.
Multiple filters can be used simultaneously for refined search.
Tags are stored at time of upload and remain associated with the file for future reference.

2.4 Use Cases

Uploading soil sampling certificates, biodiversity surveys, or planting evidence for SFI/ELMS
Storing pruning records or nutrient management plans tied to perennial systems
Keeping photo evidence for regenerative practices under Landscape Recovery pilot schemes

3. Additional Updates in Sandy V5.0

Scientific Benchmarking and Mitigation Practices have been updated to align with new enterprise logic and deliver faster calculation speeds
Minor improvements to the data sync engine for enhanced stability and auditability

4. Support and Next Steps

We recommend re-running perennial calculations where users want to view or edit updated results.
For MRV-linked schemes, begin tagging evidence in the new upload module to ensure alignment with scheme requirements.
Ensure any reported result changes are reviewed at field/crop/source level.

Coming Soon...

Further updates to other enterprise types (e.g. Grassland, Livestock) are in development, following the v2 framework for consistent, transparent, and modular improvements.