SAP Analysis Engine

What Is the SAP Analysis Engine?

Understanding what the tool does and why it exists.

The Succession Soils SAP Analysis Engine is a web-based diagnostic tool that reads raw nutrient values from laboratory sap analysis reports, compares them against crop-specific norms, identifies deficiencies, excesses, and antagonisms, and produces a ready-to-execute spray programme — all in a few minutes.

Traditional sap analysis services provide numbers and status ratings. The Engine goes further: it cross-verifies sap data against soil and leaf tissue results (when available), identifies which soil chemistry is causing a transport problem, warns you when applying more of a nutrient will make things worse, and produces a four-tank foliar programme calibrated to your spray interval, farming method, and crop's current phenological stage.

What the Engine Does

The Two Apps

The SAP Analysis Engine is made up of two separate pages, each with its own role:

Getting Started

Logging in, account access, and navigating the two apps.

Logging In

Both the Analysis Tool and the Reports Viewer require you to sign in with your email address and password. Your login session is stored in the browser tab. If you close the tab or click Sign Out, you will need to sign in again.

What You Need Before You Start

To run an analysis, gather the following before you open the tool:

• Your sap analysis PDF from the laboratory (Soil2Sap/Agrisol or Agresol Differential format). This is required.
• Your soil analysis PDF (optional, but strongly recommended — enables triangulation and confirms whether foliar sprays alone will fix the problem).
• Your leaf tissue analysis PDF (optional — adds a third verification layer).
• The contact details of the person receiving the report (name, email, mobile).
• Knowledge of the crop's current phenological stage (e.g., Vegetative, Flowering, Fruit/Nut fill).
• Your spray interval in days (7, 14, or 28).
• Your water rate in litres per hectare.

The Analysis Workflow

A step-by-step walkthrough of the Analysis Tool from login to generated report.

The Analysis Tool takes you through three main steps before generating the report. Here is an overview of the process:

3.1 Step 0A — Upload Lab PDFs

The first screen shows three upload zones side by side:

3.2 Step 0 — Configuration

After the PDF upload, the Configuration card appears. This is where you set the farming context. The engine uses these settings to select the right product list, adjust norms, and build the correct schedule. Fill in every field carefully — wrong settings here will produce an incorrect programme.

Programme Settings

Sample Information

Field Conditions at Sampling

These three fields give the engine environmental context at the time of sampling. They are used to interpret root restriction risks and nutrient mobility issues — for example, a very dry soil or a saturated one will limit what nutrients can physically move from soil to sap, regardless of what is in the soil.

Contact Details

These three fields are required. They are used to address the emailed report and to populate the cloud database record.

3.3 Step 1 — Nutrient Data Table

Below the Configuration card sits the SAP Data table. This is the core input — the raw numbers from the laboratory report. The table has two value columns:

• Young Leaf (YL) — the newest expanding leaf. This reflects what the plant currently has available. It responds quickly to both deficiencies and corrections.
• Old Leaf (OL) — the oldest functional leaf. This reflects what the plant stored during earlier growth. It changes slowly.

The relationship between YL and OL tells you whether a nutrient is mobile (the plant can move it from old to young tissue when demand is high) or immobile (the plant cannot relocate it once fixed in tissue).

Values in a green-tinted cell were auto-extracted from the uploaded PDF. Dashes (—) mean the value was not found in the PDF — enter it manually if you have it from the lab report.

3.4 Generating the Report

Once you have reviewed the Configuration and nutrient data, click Analyse. The report is generated instantly in your browser — no data is sent to a server for this step. The full report appears below the input cards.

The report is structured as a set of collapsible sections (called accordions). The first section — the Executive Summary — opens automatically. Click any section header to expand or collapse it. On print, all sections print in full regardless of which are open on screen.

After the Report

What to do with the report once it has been generated.

Below the generated report you will find a row of action buttons. Each does a different thing — you can use them in any order, and more than once.

The Colour System

How to read status colours and priority indicators before diving into the report sections.

Everything in the report that has a colour follows the same four-colour system. Once you understand it, you can scan any section of the report and immediately know what needs attention.

Urgency Strips

The Executive Summary and some nutrient rows show a coloured banner across the full width. These are urgency strips:

Priority Levels in Tables

In the consolidated nutrient table and treatment protocol, individual rows are colour-coded by priority number:

Status Labels in the Nutrient Table

Note that EXCESS and SEVERE are both red. Too much of a nutrient causes problems — it may be directly toxic, or it may block the uptake of other nutrients.

Certification Tags

Every product in the treatment protocol carries a certification tag showing which farming systems it is approved for:

Executive Summary

The first section that opens when you view a report. Read this first — it tells you the overall state of the crop and what to do about it.

The Executive Summary is written for the person who needs to make a decision quickly. It does not give you every number — it gives you the most important findings and tells you where in the report to find the details.

What It Contains

Triangulation

Only present when soil and/or leaf tissue PDFs were uploaded alongside the sap analysis. This section shows where data sources agree and where they conflict.

A sap analysis alone tells you what is currently in the plant sap. But sap values can be misleading — a nutrient can look deficient in sap because the plant is mobilising it from old to young tissue, or because it is temporarily unavailable due to dry soil. Cross-verifying against soil and tissue data gives a much more reliable picture.

Verification Status

Each nutrient diagnosis in the Triangulation section carries one of two labels:

Override Warnings

Sometimes the sap suggests a deficiency, but the soil confirms adequate or excess levels of that nutrient. In this case, the sap diagnosis is overridden by the soil data. The Triangulation section shows exactly which diagnoses were overridden, why, and what the engine concluded. Overrides are the most important part of this section to read — they show where sap data alone would have led you to the wrong correction.

Consolidated Nutrient Analysis

Every measured nutrient in one table — current levels, direction of movement, status against norms, and what each finding means for the crop.

This is the most data-dense section of the report. It shows all nutrients in a single table so you can scan the full picture without jumping between sections. Here is how to read each column:

Reading the YL:OL Direction

The direction arrow shows whether the nutrient is moving from old tissue to young tissue (↑ Rising) or the reverse (↓ Falling). This is important because mobile nutrients (like N, P, K, Mg) can be relocated by the plant, so a low YL combined with a normal OL tells you the plant is drawing down its reserves. An immobile nutrient (like Ca, B, Fe) cannot be relocated — if it is low in YL, it has simply not been supplied.

The Verdict Column

The Verdict column is a plain-language interpretation written specifically for the crop, stage, and verification status of that reading. It tells you in one sentence what the finding means and what to do about it. Red and amber verdicts cross-reference the relevant treatment section so you can find the corrective product quickly.

Luxury Consumption Warning

At certain growth stages, a plant will take up more of a nutrient than it strictly needs — this is called luxury consumption. The engine flags these nutrients with a Luxury tag in the verdict. A luxury nutrient should not be increased further. Reducing supply slightly to the target level will free up energy and space for other nutrients the plant needs more urgently at this stage.

Soil Antagonisms & Transport Restrictions

The most important section for understanding why the crop is deficient — and whether spraying more will actually help.

Most nutrient deficiencies seen in sap are not caused by the nutrient being absent from the soil. They are caused by one of four mechanisms:

• Another nutrient in the soil is blocking uptake at the root (a soil antagonism)
• Root membranes are damaged and cannot transport anything properly
• Soil conditions (waterlogging, drought, temperature) are slowing microbial activity that normally makes nutrients available
• The plant is drawing down reserves from old to young tissue faster than the roots can supply

The engine analyses all known antagonism pairs and flags any that are likely active in your sample. Understanding the mechanism tells you whether to fix the soil, apply a foliar bypass, or investigate the roots first.

Card Types

How Each Card Is Structured

Each antagonism card contains up to five coloured detail boxes:

Stop List

Products to stop applying immediately. This list is generated before the treatment protocol — act on it first.

The Stop List contains any nutrient or product that is currently being oversupplied and is actively making things worse. Continuing to apply a product on the Stop List will drive an antagonism deeper and block the absorption of the products you are adding to correct deficiencies.

The Stop List is typically short — one to three items. Each entry looks like this:

Treatment Protocol — The Four-Tank System

The corrective spray programme, organised into separate tanks to avoid chemical incompatibilities in the sprayer.

The treatment protocol organises all corrective foliar products into a maximum of four tanks per spray pass. The tanks are always kept separate because mixing the wrong nutrients together can cause precipitation (solids dropping out of solution), pH conflicts, or nutrient lockup in the spray tank itself.

How to Read Each Tank Card

Each tank card in the report shows:

• Products listed — with specific commercially available options, including certification tag (ECO, BIO.
• Rate per hectare — the amount of product to use, expressed in L/ha or kg/ha.
• What it delivers — the grams of nutrient per hectare at that rate, calculated from the product's label concentration.
• Tank pH target — the pH range the spray water should be adjusted to before adding products.
• Keep-Apart Rules — amber-bordered boxes warning which products or nutrients must never go into the same tank.
• Synergy Notes — green-bordered boxes highlighting combinations that work particularly well together.

Not All Four Tanks Are Always Present

The engine only builds tanks that are needed. If there are no trace element deficiencies, there is no Micro tank. If no Ca or B correction is required, there is no CaB tank. The minimum possible programme is always generated — you will never be asked to apply a product the data does not justify.

Pass System

Within a single spray interval, some nutrients should be applied more than once. The engine splits these into passes. For example, in a 14-day cycle: Pass 1 on Day 1 applies the Micro tank; Pass 2 on Day 7 repeats it at a lower rate to maintain levels. The Application Schedule section shows exactly which passes happen on which day.

Recommended Soil Amendments

Only present when soil analysis confirms bulk nutrient deficits that foliar sprays alone cannot fix.

Foliar sprays correct what is in the leaf right now. They do not rebuild a depleted soil reserve. If the soil analysis confirms that a nutrient is critically deficient at soil level — not just in the sap — then a soil amendment (a ground-applied product) is needed alongside the foliar programme.

This section only appears in the report when the soil PDF was uploaded and the engine confirms a bulk soil deficiency. If you did not upload a soil PDF, this section will not appear — you will need a soil analysis to know whether amendments are required.

What Soil Amendments Cover

• Calcium / pH correction — agricultural lime, gypsum, or dolomite, depending on whether the pH also needs adjusting.
• Phosphorus — rock phosphate for organic / regenerative systems.
• Sulphur — elemental sulphur or gypsum for both pH management and S nutrition.
• Magnesium — dolomite (if pH correction is also needed) or Epsom salt for a faster-acting correction.

Application Schedule

The day-by-day spray calendar for your spray interval. This is the section you hand to the spray operator.

The Application Schedule translates the treatment protocol into a simple day-by-day calendar matched to your chosen spray interval (7, 14, or 28 days). Each row is one pass. Here is what a typical 14-day schedule looks like:

Key Rules for Spray Application

• Spray in the morning — between 06:00 and 09:00 when stomata are open and temperatures are lower. Foliar uptake is significantly higher in the morning than at midday.
• Adjust tank pH — use a simple pH meter and citric acid (to lower pH) or potassium bicarbonate (to raise pH). The target pH for each tank is shown in the schedule. Most foliar nutrients absorb best at pH 5.5–6.5.
• Allow a minimum gap between tanks — never spray two different tank mixes within 2–4 hours on the same leaves. The residue from Tank 1 can react with Tank 2 on the leaf surface.
• Do not spray in extreme heat or wind — above 32°C or in wind above 15 km/h, foliar uptake drops sharply and drift risk increases.
• Bio drench — once per 28 days only — even if your spray interval is 7 days and you have four passes in a month, the biology tank is only applied once. Over-applying soil inoculants does not increase efficacy and wastes product.

Crop Health & Next Steps

A plain-language interpretation of what the results mean for the plant, the soil, and what to do when this spray cycle ends.

This final section is written for the farmer rather than the agronomist. It explains the results in the context of the crop's current growth stage and tells the farmer what to watch for during the spray cycle.

What This Means for the Plant

This subsection interprets the key findings in terms of visible plant symptoms the farmer might already be seeing — or is likely to see if the deficiencies are not corrected. For example: a Zinc deficiency during vegetative growth will show as small, distorted new leaves and reduced shoot elongation. A Calcium deficiency at fruit fill will show as soft fruit and susceptibility to tip burn.

What This Means for the Soil

This subsection connects the sap findings to soil biology health. Nutrient deficiencies in sap are often a signal that the soil food web is not functioning — mycorrhizal activity may be suppressed, bacterial populations may be low, or organic matter may be inadequate to support nutrient cycling. This section explains what underlying soil conditions may have contributed to the current readings and what to address in the longer term.

When to Resample

The recommended resample date is shown at the end of this section. For a 7-day programme, resample after one complete cycle (7 days). For 14-day and 28-day programmes, resample at the end of the cycle. Always sample from the same trees and the same leaf position each time so results are comparable. Note the date, time, and field conditions (temperature, humidity, soil moisture) on the sample bag.

The Reports Viewer

How to browse, search, and re-open past analyses at report.html.

Every analysis you sync to the cloud is stored in your account and accessible at sap.successionsoils.co.za/report.html. The Reports Viewer requires the same login as the Analysis Tool.

Searching and Filtering

The search bar at the top of the list filters by farm name, contact name, contact email, crop, or sample ID. Start typing and the list filters instantly. You can also use the crop dropdown to show only analyses for a specific crop type.

Opening a Past Report

Click any row in the table to open the full report. The report opens in the same accordion format as the original — all sections are available. Use the Back to List button to return to the archive. Use the Print button to print or save as PDF.

The URL updates to include the report ID (e.g., ?id=14), so you can bookmark a specific report or copy the URL to return to it later. Note: this URL requires login — it is not a public link.

Report Metadata

Above the report content, a metadata bar shows the farm name, contact details, crop, farming method, phenological stage, sample ID, report date, and the date the report was synced to the cloud. This confirms you are looking at the right report before printing or sharing it.

Sharing Reports

Two ways to share a report with someone who does not have a system login.

Option 1: Email with PDF Attachment

The most reliable option for farmers. The report is converted to a PDF and attached to an email sent to the contact address you entered. The recipient opens it in any PDF viewer and can save it to their phone or computer. No internet connection is needed after downloading.

The email is sent from info@successionsoils.co.za with a copy back to the same address for your records. The subject line includes the farm name and report date.

Option 2: Email with a Link

An email containing a button and URL that opens the report in the browser without requiring a login. The link uses a unique UUID (a long random identifier like a3f7bc12-...) that cannot be guessed. Only someone with the exact link can view the report. The link does not expire.

Anyone with the link can view the report at report.html?uuid=<the-uuid>. They will see the full report — including all sections and the print button — but they cannot see any other reports and cannot access the archive.

Printing to PDF (alternative)

If you prefer to create the PDF yourself and send it through your own email or WhatsApp, click Print and then select Save as PDF from the print dialogue. This gives you a file you can send through any channel.

Supported Crops & Lab Formats

What crops the engine has built-in norms for, and which laboratory PDF formats it can auto-read.

Supported Crops

The engine contains crop-specific nutrient norms for the following crops, with phenological stage adjustments where applicable:

Supported PDF Formats

Soil Analysis Formats

For soil PDFs, the engine recognises the following laboratory formats for the triangulation step:

• SASRI (Ambic-1 extraction)
• Cedara / KZN Department of Agriculture (Ambic-1)
• NviroTec (Mehlich-3 extraction)
• Brookside (Mehlich-3 extraction)
• Auto-detect (the engine will attempt to identify the format automatically)

Glossary

Key terms used throughout the report, defined in plain language.

Antagonism

When an excess of one nutrient physically blocks the uptake or movement of another. Example: high soil Calcium competes with Magnesium at root uptake sites. The result is a Mg deficiency even when Mg is present in the soil.

Brix

A measure of the sugar (soluble solids) concentration in plant sap. Higher Brix generally indicates better plant health, stronger immune function, and greater resistance to pest and disease pressure. Measured with a refractometer.

Chelate / Chelated

A nutrient that has been chemically bonded to an organic molecule (a chelating agent) to protect it from reacting with other elements in the soil or spray water. Chelated micronutrients are absorbed more reliably than unchelated forms. Common chelating agents include EDTA, DTPA, and amino acids.

EC (Electrical Conductivity)

A measure of the ion concentration in the sap. High sap EC can indicate dehydration (the sap is concentrated because water is scarce) or root membrane damage (ions are leaking into the sap from damaged cells).

Foliar Bypass

Applying a nutrient directly to the leaf rather than through the soil and roots, specifically to bypass a soil antagonism or root restriction that is preventing normal uptake. A foliar bypass corrects the symptom but does not fix the underlying soil problem.

F:B Ratio

Fungal-to-Bacterial ratio. The balance of fungal and bacterial biomass in the soil food web. Tree crops generally prefer a fungally dominant soil (F:B > 1). Disturbance, tillage, and high N inputs shift the ratio toward bacterial dominance.

Immobile Nutrient

A nutrient the plant cannot relocate from old to young tissue once it has been deposited. If it is deficient in Young Leaf tissue, the plant cannot draw on reserves stored in Old Leaf tissue — it must be supplied externally. Ca, B, Fe, Mn are immobile. Deficiency shows first in new growth.

JWT (JSON Web Token)

The authentication method used by the system. When you log in, the system issues a token that proves your identity. This token is stored in your browser session and sent with every request. It expires after 7 days, after which you need to log in again.

Luxury Consumption

When a plant absorbs more of a nutrient than it needs at a given growth stage. This is normal behaviour — plants take up what is available, not just what they require. A nutrient at luxury levels should not be increased further. Reducing it to the target range conserves resources and reduces the risk of blocking other nutrients.

Mobile Nutrient

A nutrient the plant can relocate from old to young tissue when demand exceeds supply. If it is low in Young Leaf tissue but adequate in Old Leaf, the plant is drawing down its reserves. N, P, K, Mg, S are mobile. Deficiency shows first in old growth.

Old Leaf (OL)

The oldest functional leaf on the sampled shoot. Reflects nutrients stored during earlier growth. Changes slowly compared to Young Leaf. The OL value shows what the plant had available weeks ago and how well it has maintained reserves.

Phenological Stage

The defined phase of the crop's annual growth cycle — from vegetative growth through flowering, fruit set, fruit fill, and post-harvest recovery. Nutrient demand and the importance of individual nutrients changes significantly between stages.

Root Integrity

The physical soundness of root cell membranes. When root membranes are damaged (by pathogens, nematodes, or severe water stress), they lose their selective permeability — ions flood in non-selectively, causing sap readings that look like multiple simultaneous nutrient excesses combined with high Cl and EC.

Sap Analysis

Laboratory analysis of the liquid pressed from fresh plant tissue (sap). Unlike dried leaf tissue analysis, sap analysis shows what is currently flowing in the plant — it is a real-time snapshot of plant nutrition. Two tissue ages are typically sampled: Young Leaf (newest expanding leaf) and Old Leaf (oldest functional leaf).

Soil Food Web

The community of living organisms in the soil — bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, earthworms, and others — that cycle nutrients, build soil structure, and protect plant roots. The health of the soil food web determines how well nutrients already present in the soil are made available to the plant.

Spray Interval

The number of days between foliar spray applications. 7-day programmes are used for acute deficiencies or high-demand periods. 14-day programmes are standard commercial. 28-day programmes are maintenance-level for established, healthy trees.

Triangulation

Cross-verifying sap analysis findings against soil analysis and leaf tissue analysis results. A finding confirmed in two or three data sources is treated as verified. A finding in only one source is treated as tentative.

UUID

Universally Unique Identifier — the long random code used to generate a public sharing link for a report. The UUID is unique to each report and cannot be guessed. Only people with the exact link can access the report.

Water Rate

The volume of spray water applied per hectare per pass (litres per hectare, L/ha). Used to calculate the concentration of each product in the spray tank. A product rate of 2 L/ha in 500 L water gives 0.4% concentration.

Young Leaf (YL)

The newest expanding leaf on the sampled shoot. Reflects current supply and demand. Responds quickly to both deficiencies and corrections. Always sampled alongside Old Leaf for a complete picture of nutrient mobility within the plant.