Make your next agronomy call count.

Include the crop, variety if known, district, field size and planting date. Mention whether the crop is irrigated or rain-fed.

Explain when you first noticed the issue, which parts of the crop are affected and whether it appears in patches or across the whole field. Avoid guessing the cause when you are unsure.

Have your irrigation, nutrition and crop protection records to hand. Include the exact product names and application dates when relevant.

Contact the team on WhatsApp to share clear photographs after your initial enquiry. A photograph can support the discussion, but some questions need a closer field assessment.

Write your question in one sentence before you call. "Why are the lower leaves on my maize yellowing in the block I planted in November" gets a far better answer than "my maize looks bad".

Crop, variety if you know it, planting date, area, and the growing system. Have these to hand before you dial. Most of the first few minutes of an agronomy call are spent establishing them.

When you first noticed the problem, whether it is spreading, and what happened around that time: rainfall, an application, a cold night, a change in irrigation. Timing is usually the strongest clue.

What went onto the crop, at what rate, and when. Bring the product name from the label rather than from memory. If you are not sure, say so rather than guessing.

Is it across the whole field, in patches, along the edges, or on one soil type? Does it follow the irrigation lines or the direction you sprayed? A pattern often points at a cause faster than the symptom does.

Whether it affects old leaves or new growth, whole plants or parts of them, and roughly what proportion of the field. Be specific about where on the plant you are looking.

Take a wide shot showing the pattern across the field, a close shot of an affected plant, and one of a healthy plant beside it for comparison. Shoot in daylight and ask the team where to send them.

Ask for the next step and also for what to look for over the following days. Ask what would mean the problem is getting worse and warrants a call back.

Some problems cannot be settled over a phone call. Ask directly whether a field visit or a sample would give a more reliable answer, and what that would involve.

The recommendation, any product named, the rate and the timing. Read it back before you end the call so any misunderstanding is caught while you are both on the line.

Whatever was discussed, the approved label on the product is what governs its use. If the label and your notes disagree, stop and call back before applying anything.

Note what you did, when, and what the crop did afterwards. Whether it worked or not, that record makes every future conversation about your farm sharper.