Sowing Date & Crop Moisture

This gameplay script records the exact sowing date for every section of every field and calculates crop moisture from the sowing date, variety, season, and weather. Early-sown corn dries faster, while late-sown corn retains more moisture as autumn weather cools. Each field therefore develops its own realistic drying curve.

• Random variety selection: A variety is assigned when a field is first sown during the year. Corn hybrids feature maturity durations of 100–116 days, soybeans use maturity groups 2.6 through 3.8, and wheat is assigned an early, medium, or late variety.
• Crop Planner: A calendar in the ESC menu displays recommended sowing and harvesting windows. All planted fields are listed with their variety, sowing date, maturity, current moisture, and estimated harvest time. A planting guide also shows what should be sown during the current week.
• Notifications: A message identifies the selected variety when sowing begins. If a crop is planted too late to mature before the end of the harvest season, a warning is displayed.
• Variable moisture readings: Combine moisture values change while driving. Moisture is blended accordingly when the crop is unloaded into the grain tank, trailer, or silo.
• Windrow drying: Crops left in windrows follow their own drying timeline.
• Flexible calendar: Sowing and harvest dates are calculated correctly with 1, 8, 12, or 28 days per month.

Optional integrations: FS25_MoistureSystem (Ozz) provides weather-driven crop moisture and preserves it in grain silos and drying facilities. FS25_RealisticHarvesting (exekx) uses real-time combine data for the moisture display and engine load. FS25_SoilFertilizer (TisonK) adds lodging and stem-break warnings as well as sidedressing hints. All integrations are optional; without them, the script uses a simple built-in rain model.

Important notes: The script does not change crop growth stages or yield. The game still determines when a crop is ready to harvest. Existing crops cannot be sown into and receive an estimated sowing date instead. Hybrid varieties cannot be selected manually. Experimental growth synchronization is disabled by default because it does not work reliably on every map.

Calculations are based on sowing and harvest timing in Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana, along with Ohio State University research. A general calendar is included, while additional regions have not yet been calibrated.