7 Steps of Farming With Pictures, Costs and Water Data

The 7 steps of farming, in order, are land preparation, choosing seed, sowing, watering, feeding the crop, protecting it from weeds, pests and disease, and harvest. Many guides add an eighth step, storage and sale, and some go to ten. Below, each step says what a photo of it should show, what the work involves and which number matters most, with sourced data on water use, losses and the cost of each step on a US corn farm.

Use it as a farming process step by step with pictures: look at the satellite header image, the flow diagram and the charts, then match each step with photos from your extension service or your own phone. Farmers who want a visual summary of crop stages can also read our guide to the 5 essential crop farming stages.

The 7 steps of farming in order

The table gives the order, the main job in each step and what to look for in a picture. Timings vary by crop, climate and machinery, so the table shows what the step is, not how long it takes.

Infographic

The 7 steps in order

1. 1Land preparationClear residue, loosen soil, make a seedbed.
2. 2Seed choicePick tagged seed that suits your climate.
3. 3SowingSet depth and spacing.
4. 4WateringWater when the crop needs it.
5. 5FeedingSoil test first, then add what is missing.
6. 6Crop protectionScout, then control weeds, pests and disease.
7. 7HarvestPick at maturity, keep losses low.

A short version for students: prepare the soil, plant good seed, water it, feed it, protect it, then harvest and store the crop. Everything else in this guide adds detail to those six actions.

Step 1: Land preparation

Land preparation makes a seedbed where seed can touch moist soil and roots can grow. The usual work is removing the old crop residue, loosening the soil, and levelling it so water does not pool. In a photo, look for evenly worked soil, or for a field with a layer of crop residue left on the surface if the farmer uses no-till.

Tilling is not the only option. In no-till farming the seed goes through the residue with a special drill, and the soil is not turned. Cover crops, which are plants grown to protect the soil between cash crops, are used for a similar reason. SARE, a US research and education program, describes a cover crop as a plant used mainly to slow erosion, improve soil health, smother weeds and help control pests and diseases. Which method fits depends on your soil, climate and equipment, so ask your local extension office.

Drainage and slope belong in this step too. Water that stands on a field for days starves roots, and water that runs fast down a slope carries soil away. Walk the field after heavy rain and note wet spots and gullies. A photo taken from the same point each season shows whether the problem is growing. Machinery size matters as well: heavy tractors on wet soil compact it, which can restrict root growth, so wait until the soil is fit to work.

Step 2: Choosing seed

Good seed matters because every later step costs the same whether the seed is good or poor. University of Maine Extension puts it plainly for potatoes: the same fertilizer, pesticide and effort go into a crop from poor seed as from good seed, and disease-free seed is essential. The same idea holds for many crops: buy tagged seed from a supplier you trust and read the label for variety, germination and purity.

Choose varieties for your local climate, soil type, disease pressure and market. Seed treatments against soil-borne disease exist, but the product label and local rules decide what you may use and how, so follow them. Our crop-by-crop guide is in major crops and food security trends.

Step 3: Sowing or planting

Sowing puts seed or seedlings in the ground at the right depth, spacing and time. In a picture you want straight, evenly spaced seedlings, with no gaps and no crowding. A planter or drill sets depth and spacing by machine. On small plots, hand tools do the same job.

The seeding rate is not the same as the plant count you want. Purdue Extension’s soybean table assumes 90% germination and 90% emergence, which means about 81% of seeds become plants, so you sow more seeds than the plant stand you aim for. The same paper says soybeans can reach a normal seed yield with about 60,000 plants per acre when planted by June 7 in Indiana, and need 80,000 for later planting, if stands are uniform and weeds are not a serious problem. Those numbers are for Indiana soybeans, so check your own state’s advice for your crop.

Timing follows weather and soil temperature. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service publishes weekly crop progress reports and a list of usual planting and harvesting dates for US field crops, which is a good starting point for your state.

Planting methods differ by crop. Broadcasting scatters seed over the surface. Drilling places seed in rows at a set depth. Transplanting moves young plants from a nursery bed or tray to the field, which suits many vegetables and trees. Rows make later steps easier, because a cultivator, sprayer or scout can move between them. Keep a planting log with the date, variety, seed lot and field, since you will need it when you compare fields at harvest.

▶ Our visual guide to the five essential stages of crop farming. · 12:13

Step 4: Watering the crop

Water is applied by surface (furrow, border or basin), sprinkler or drip systems. How much of the water reaches the plants depends on the method. The FAO gives indicative values for field application efficiency: 60% for surface irrigation, 75% for sprinklers and 90% for drip. These are typical values, and the FAO notes that lack of discipline can lower them. In a picture, drip lines run along the crop rows, sprinklers throw arcs of water, and surface systems show water running down furrows.

Most US corn is not irrigated at all. In the USDA’s cost estimates for 2025, 90% of corn acres were dryland and 10% irrigated, so the step may not apply to every field. If you do irrigate, soil moisture sensors and a simple schedule help you water when the crop needs it rather than by habit.

Scheduling beats guessing. A simple method is to check the soil with a probe or by hand, look at the weather forecast, and water when the root zone is drying and the crop is in a sensitive stage. Over-watering wastes water and energy, and it can wash nutrients below the roots. Under-watering at flowering or grain fill can cut yield. Your extension office can tell you the sensitive stages for your crop.

Chart

How much irrigation water reaches the crop

Indicative field application efficiency, % of water applied

Step 5: Feeding the crop

Plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and smaller amounts of other nutrients. The step starts with a soil test, not with a bag of fertilizer. Purdue Extension advises collecting composite samples, because soils can be highly variable even over short distances. In a photo you would see a soil probe, labelled sample bags and later a spreader or sprayer.

Fertilizer is the biggest operating cost of a US corn crop (see the cost chart below), so a test that stops over-application can pay back. Manure and compost also supply nutrients. Rates, timing and buffer zones near water are set by your state or country, so follow the label, local rules and your agronomist’s advice.

Step 6: Controlling weeds, pests and disease

Weeds, insects and disease take yield, so this step runs from emergence to harvest. For weeds, a study of corn in the United States and Canada compared untreated plots with plots that had more than 95% weed control from 2007 to 2013 and found an average yield loss of 50% from weed interference. These were small-plot trials, so losses on a well-managed farm are likely to be smaller. The point is that doing nothing is the costly choice.

For pests and disease, the US EPA describes integrated pest management as a four-step approach: set action thresholds, monitor and identify pests, prevent problems, then control. Seeing one pest does not always mean control is needed. The FAO adds that IPM can reduce pesticide residues in food, feed and the environment.

Control methods include hoeing and cultivation, mulch and cover crops, crop rotation, resistant varieties, natural enemies and, as one tool among several, herbicides and insecticides. Always follow the product label and local rules, and get professional advice before you spray. Our guide to mechanical weed management covers the non-chemical side.

Scouting is the habit that links steps 3 to 6. Walk a set route through the field every week or two, look at plants in several spots rather than just near the road, and note what you see with the date and a photo. Early notes on uneven emergence, yellow patches, weed patches or chewed leaves let you act while the problem is small. Satellite maps can tell you where to start, but the plant in front of you gives the answer.

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Step 7: Harvest

Harvest happens when the crop reaches maturity for its purpose: grain at the right moisture, fruit at the right ripeness. Combines do the work on large grain farms, and crews, knives and bins on delicate crops. In a picture you will see the machine or crew and a clear sign of maturity, such as dry stalks or full-coloured fruit.

Timing matters for quality and loss. A late harvest risks weather damage and shatter, and an early one risks wet grain and poor quality. Set up machines carefully, since losses at the combine add up over many acres. Keep records of dates and yields for the next season.

The harvest itself has a few simple checks. Test grain moisture before storing it, since wet grain spoils. Clean and inspect bins and wagons so old grain does not carry pests into the new crop. Keep produce cool and out of the sun. Label each lot with field, date and crop so any problem can be traced back. Record yield per field, because comparing fields is how you find out which step went wrong.

After harvest: storage, selling and records (steps 8 to 10)

Some guides stop at harvest. Others add three steps that matter for income: storage and handling, selling, and record-keeping with a plan for next season. Cleaning, drying, grading and cool, dry storage protect quality. Selling means choosing between contracts, local markets and processors. Records of inputs, costs and yields show which steps pay.

Chart

Share of food lost after harvest, 2023

% lost from farm to before retail, selected regions and world

The FAO estimates that 13.3% of food is lost globally after harvest, between the farm and the retail level, in 2023. The share was lowest in Northern America and Europe at 10.0% and highest in sub-Saharan Africa at 23.0%. Cutting these losses is a step in its own right.

Practices that run through the whole season include crop rotation, hedgerows and field margins that support pollinators, windbreaks and cover crops. They do not have their own number in the sequence, but they affect every step above. For ideas on farm income beyond crops, see agri-business solutions examples.

Common mistakes at each step

These fixes are common agronomy practice rather than figures from one study, so check them against advice for your crop and region.

What each step costs on a US corn farm

The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) estimates costs and returns for US corn each year. For 2025, operating costs were US$455.80 per planted acre, and fertilizer and seed were the two largest items. The ERS estimate is a model based on survey data, not any one farm’s accounts, and it covers corn only. Other crops and other countries differ a lot.

Chart

US corn operating costs by item, 2025

US$ per planted acre, US total, ERS model estimate; excludes overhead and land

Total costs listed in the same dataset were US$900.52 per planted acre once overhead items are added, such as machinery capital recovery, the opportunity cost of land and unpaid labour. Gross value of production was US$782.44 per acre, from a yield of 198 bushels per planted acre at US$3.93 per bushel, so the estimate shows a net value of minus US$118.08 per acre. These figures come from the ERS Commodity Costs and Returns data product, updated 1 October 2026.

Costs also move from year to year. Fertilizer was US$119.75 per acre in 2021, jumped to US$225.73 in 2022 and was US$171.89 in 2025 in the same dataset. That swing is why a budget with your own current prices is more useful than a rule of thumb. The calculator below lets you do that with your own numbers.

Chart

Input costs for US corn, selected years

US$ per planted acre, US total; 2016-2018 and 2020 not shown

Farm budget calculator: does one acre pay?

Enter your own seed, fertilizer, chemical and other costs, plus your expected yield and price. The calculator gives the net return per acre and for the whole field, and the break-even price and yield. Prices are examples, so replace them with today’s quotes from your dealer or elevator. It is a planning aid, not financial advice, so talk to a farm adviser or accountant for decisions about loans or land.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

How satellite pictures help at each step

Satellite images do not replace walking the field, but they show how the whole field is doing. Before sowing, a map of last season’s crop vigour shows where a field was uneven. During the season, a vegetation index map such as NDVI can show where growth lags, so you know where to scout first. A satellite shows a change in green vegetation, not the cause, so check the field before you act.

Farmonaut Satellite + AI Farm Monitoring System shows these maps for fields you draw on a map, with weather data alongside. Developers can use the Farmonaut satellite API and the developer documentation.

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How we checked the numbers

Every number in the charts and text comes from a page we opened: USDA ERS cost data (updated 1 October 2026), FAO tables on irrigation efficiency and food losses, a weed-loss study indexed by FAO AGRIS, the US EPA, and Purdue, SARE and University of Maine extension pages. Where a source covers one crop or one state, the text says so. The ERS figures are modelled estimates for 2025 on a survey base from 2021.

FAQ

What are the 7 steps of farming?

Land preparation, seed choice, sowing, watering, feeding the crop, crop protection against weeds, pests and disease, and harvest. Storage, selling and records are often added as steps 8 to 10.

Why do some lists have 8 or 10 steps?

The number depends on how a guide groups the work. This guide merges weed, pest and disease control into one step. Others split them, and some add storage, marketing and record-keeping after harvest.

How can I find pictures for each step?

State extension services and university crop pages publish photos of seedbeds, planting, scouting and harvest for local crops. Photos from your own fields, taken on the same dates each year, are the most useful record.

Which irrigation method uses water best?

The FAO’s indicative field application efficiencies are 60% for surface, 75% for sprinkler and 90% for drip irrigation. Real results depend on the crop, soil and how well the system is run.

Are the steps the same for vegetables, orchards and forests?

The order is similar, but details change. Orchards use young trees that are planted once and managed for many years, and vegetables often start in a nursery. Check crop-specific advice from your extension office.

Do I need soil tests?

Soil tests tell you which nutrients to add, so you do not guess. Take composite samples as your state laboratory advises, and follow the fertilizer label and local rules.

Related pages on our site: large-farm management app, crop monitoring app, fleet management, product traceability, crop loan and insurance, carbon footprinting.