How Hypocotyl measures carbon intensity
A carbon intensity score is every emission from growing a crop, divided by what the field produced. This page shows what goes into that number, and how each part is measured.
The calculation
What we add up
Growing a crop draws on fuel, power, fertilizer, and field chemistry. Each one is measured, converted to a common basis of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e), and added to the season total.
Running total
Example field · illustrative
0 kg CO₂e
- 2%200 kg
Electricity
Grid power for bins, aeration, and the shop.
- 4%420 kg
Crop protection
Emissions from making the herbicides and fungicides applied.
- 8%780 kg
Urea and lime
Carbon dioxide released as urea and ground limestone break down.
- 17%1,700 kg
Fuel
Diesel and other fuels burned by equipment and grain drying.
- 26%2,600 kg
Fertilizer manufacturing
Emissions from producing the nitrogen fertilizer before it reaches the farm.
- 43%4,200 kg
Nitrogen and N₂O
Applied nitrogen releases nitrous oxide from the soil, usually the largest single source.
Total emissions
9,900 kg CO₂e
Divide the season total by the harvest, and the field has its carbon intensity.
Total field emissions
9,900
kg CO₂e
Yield
6,600
bushels
Carbon intensity
1.50
kg CO₂e / bushel
The process
From your data to a score in five steps
Enter your data
Fuel, fertilizer, tillage, yield, and field details, through a guided workflow, a spreadsheet upload, or a direct feed from your farm software.
We structure and check it
Inputs are unit-normalized and checked for completeness. Each one is tagged with a data quality tier that records how it was sourced.
We calculate the score
Recognized emission factors are applied within a cradle-to-farmgate boundary to turn your inputs into a carbon intensity score.
You get an auditable report
The score arrives with a boundary statement, a confidence range, benchmark context, and a full summary of the inputs behind it.
You put it to work
Share the report with buyers, programs, and lenders for premium conversations, Scope 3 reporting, and disclosure.
The science, in brief
Bounded, sourced, and labelled
The score is calculated within a defined boundary, from emission factors with a published reference, and every input carries a tier that records how it was sourced.
Inside the boundary
- Fuel combustion. Diesel and gasoline for on-farm machinery.
- Nitrogen fertilizer manufacture. Upstream emissions from producing the fertilizer.
- N₂O field emissions. Nitrous oxide from applied nitrogen, often the largest source.
- Other input manufacture. Herbicide, fungicide, and seed production where data supports it.
- On-farm energy. Electricity and propane for drying, irrigation, and facilities.
- Soil carbon changes. Estimated where field data supports it, and flagged in the output.
Left out
- Downstream transport. Post-farmgate logistics sit outside the producer boundary.
- Processing and manufacturing. Value-chain activity beyond the farmgate.
- Capital goods. Equipment and buildings, typically under two percent of total CI.
- Land use change. Historical events, noted as a limitation where relevant.
Data quality tiers
How tiers work →Tier 1 · Estimated
A published default value, used where farm data is unavailable. Flagged and treated as directional.
Tier 2 · Self-reported
Reported by the farm, without supporting documentation.
Tier 3 · Evidenced
Reported by the farm and backed by records such as receipts or application logs.
Tier 4 · System-sourced
Pulled directly from a farm management system or API.
See it on your own fields
We can walk through a CI score built from your data, with every figure traced to its source.