Tray Tracking System

Track every tray from seeding to harvest with QR labels and photo documentation

Printing Tray Labels

What you need: Brother or Zebra thermal label printer with waterproof labels (2" x 3" recommended)

Step 1: Generate QR Codes

1. From your farm dashboard, tap Tools
2. Tap QR Label Generator
3. Enter your Farm ID (shown at top of dashboard)
4. Choose a prefix like FARM-TRAY-
5. Enter starting number (example: 1000 if this is your first batch)
6. Enter how many labels you need (example: 500 for 500 trays)
7. Tap Generate Codes
8. A PDF file will download with all your QR code labels

Step 2: Print Labels

1. Connect your Brother or Zebra printer to your Symcod device via USB or WiFi
2. Load waterproof labels into the printer
3. Open the PDF file you downloaded
4. Print all pages - each QR code will fit on one label
5. Peel and stick labels onto clean, dry tray edges

Using Labels on Your Farm

First Time Scanning a Tray

1. Put fresh tray on your seeding bench
2. Stick QR label on edge of tray
3. Open Dashboard → Trays
4. Tap + New Tray
5. Scan or type the QR code
6. Select crop (example: Butterhead Lettuce)
7. Enter seed date (today by default)
8. Tap Create Tray
9. System automatically links the QR code to this tray

Scanning Trays Later

1. From Dashboard → Trays
2. Tap Search Tray
3. Scan the QR code on the tray
4. System instantly shows you that tray's details:
   • Crop type and planting date
   • Days since seeding
   • Expected harvest date
   • Weight recorded (if harvested)
   • Photos taken over time

Finding and Filtering Trays

As your tray inventory grows, you'll need to filter and sort trays to find what you're looking for quickly.

Filter Trays by Crop

1. Open Dashboard → Trays
2. Tap the Filter button at top
3. Select Crop Type dropdown
4. Choose crop (example: Arugula)
5. System shows only arugula trays

Filter by Location

1. From Tray Filters screen
2. Select Location dropdown
3. Choose location (example: Germination Room)
4. System shows only trays in that room

Filter by Date Range

1. From Tray Filters screen
2. Tap Date From and choose start date
3. Tap Date To and choose end date
4. System shows trays seeded in that date range

Filter by Status

1. From Tray Filters screen
2. Select Status dropdown
3. Choose status:
   • Seeded: Trays just planted
   • Growing: Trays actively growing
   • Ready: Trays ready to harvest
   • Harvested: Already harvested

Batch Harvest Recording

Problem: Recording harvest weight for 50+ trays one-by-one takes too long.

Solution: Batch Harvest Mode lets you select multiple trays and record their total weight at once.

How to Record Batch Harvest

1. Open Dashboard → Trays
2. Tap Batch Harvest button at top
3. Now tap each tray you want to harvest - they turn blue when selected
4. Counter shows how many selected (example: 12 trays selected)
5. When all trays selected, tap Record Harvest
6. Enter total weight for all trays combined (example: 36 kg)
7. Tap Save
8. System divides weight equally (36 kg ÷ 12 trays = 3 kg per tray)
9. All 12 trays marked as Harvested

Photo Timeline

Track how each tray grows by taking pictures at key stages (seeding, germination, mature, harvest-ready).

Take a Photo of a Tray

1. Open Dashboard → Trays
2. Scan or tap the tray you want to photograph
3. Tap Add Photo button
4. Take picture with your device camera (or upload from gallery)
5. Add note (optional, example: "Day 7 - good germination")
6. Tap Save Photo

View Photo History

1. Open any tray details page
2. Scroll down to Photo Timeline section
3. See all photos in chronological order with dates
4. Tap any photo to view full size

Yield Reports

See which crops perform best and track yield trends over time.

View Yield Analytics

1. Open Dashboard → Reports
2. Tap Yield by Crop
3. System shows chart and table with:
   • Total Yield: Sum of all harvested trays for that crop
   • Average per Tray: Typical weight you can expect
   • Minimum: Lowest-performing tray
   • Maximum: Best-performing tray
   • Performance %: Actual yield vs. expected yield

Example Report

Common Questions

Can I reuse QR labels if I clean trays?

Yes. The QR code stays linked to that physical tray. When you scan it for the next crop cycle, just create a new tray run with a new seed date. The system tracks multiple grow cycles for the same QR code.

What if a label gets damaged or falls off?

1. Print a replacement label with the same QR code
2. From QR Generator, use "Print Single Code" option
3. Enter the exact code (example: FARM-TRAY-1234)
4. Print and stick new label on tray
5. System recognizes it's the same tray

Can I track trays without QR codes?

Yes. You can create trays manually without scanning. Just give each tray a unique name (example: Lettuce-Batch-01-Tray-12). QR codes just make scanning faster.

How many trays can the system handle?

Light Engine tracks unlimited trays. Farms with 10,000+ active trays see no performance issues.

Do photos take up a lot of storage?

Photos are automatically compressed to 300 KB each. Even with 5 photos per tray across 1,000 trays, you'll only use ~1.5 GB of storage.