Terms of Use & Disclaimers

1. Acceptance of Terms & Educational Scope

By accessing or using the Crop Plot & Sentry web application, progressive web app (PWA), or associated services (collectively, the "Service"), you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be legally bound by these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use the Service.

Crop Plot & Sentry, including its computer vision models, microclimate calculations, allelopathy rules, and treatment logs, is provided solely for personal educational and hobby gardening purposes. The creators and contributors of this application are not professional scientists, licensed agronomists, or certified pesticide applicators.

2. Application Utility & Permitted Use

Crop Plot & Sentry provides automated garden layout planners, 27 integrated crop rotation rules, OMRI spray dilution helpers, weather-linked spray window forecasters, and heuristic vision tools to aid home horticulturists and market growers in adopting sustainable, organic Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. You are granted a revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to utilize the Service for personal, educational, and commercial garden management.

3. Chemical Handling, Phytotoxicity & Safety Interlocks (FIFRA / WPS Compliance)

All users must observe manufacturer instructions and standard agricultural safety protocols:

• Manufacturer Label Primacy: Product container labels legally supersede any digital calculation or suggestion. Users must follow EPA-approved labeling regarding mixing, application timing, targeted crops, PPE, and environmental buffers.
• Temperature & Sun-Safety Thresholds: Horticultural oils and sulfur compounds cause severe acute foliar burn (phytotoxicity) when applied at ambient temperatures exceeding 85°F (80°F for sulfur) or under intense solar radiation.
• Oil and Sulfur Incompatibility: Applying sulfur and oil products within 14 to 30 days of each other on the same plant foliage causes catastrophic leaf drop and plant death.
• Pollinator Protection: Certain organic compounds, including Spinosad, are highly toxic to honeybees, bumblebees, and beneficial foraging insects while wet. Spinosad must only be applied at dusk when pollinator foraging activity has ceased.
• Pre-Harvest Intervals (PHI) & REIs: Users must observe all mandatory Pre-Harvest Intervals before consuming harvested crops and honor Re-Entry Intervals (REIs) for children and domestic pets.

4. AI Diagnostics & Computer Vision Transparency (NIST AI RMF / EU AI Act)

Diagnostic predictions generated by onboard Vision Transformer (ViT) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) computer vision models are probabilistic estimates derived from open-access scientific datasets (e.g., PlantVillage, AgriPath). Computer vision models are subject to error, misidentification, illumination distortion, and out-of-distribution symptoms.

Diagnostic confidence scores and classifications must be treated as decision-support suggestions rather than definitive laboratory diagnoses. Machine learning diagnostics must never substitute for physical laboratory tissue assays, county extension agent consultations, or verified agronomic testing.

5. Digital Accessibility & Plain Writing Alignment (Section 508 / WCAG 2.2 / APCA)

Crop Plot & Sentry is engineered to conform with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Title III), and W3C WCAG 2.2 Level AA/AAA guidelines. Features include full keyboard operability, ARIA 1.2 screen reader semantics, dual-standard high-contrast typography (WCAG 2.2 AAA 7:1 & APCA Lc ≥ 90), vestibular motion suppression, and an accessible Glossary & Agronomic Dictionary that translates complex agricultural terminology into clear, plain-language descriptions.

6. User Responsibilities & Local Data Sovereignty

All personal data, including your ZIP code and garden records, is stored strictly locally on your own device (via browser client-side IndexedDB and LocalStorage). Because Crop Plot & Sentry does not maintain remote account databases, you are solely responsible for maintaining backup copies of your garden beds, seed lots, and spray logs.

We provide built-in JSON and SQL export utilities within the Database Settings tab to facilitate regular offline backups. We are not liable for data loss caused by clearing browser cache, hardware failure, or device resets.

7. Assumption of Risk & Crop Liability

Growing conditions, soil microbiome health, microclimate weather anomalies, and botanical sensitivities vary widely. You assume full responsibility for any foliar phytotoxicity, crop failure, pest damage, personal injury, or environmental impact resulting from actions taken based on calculations or diagnostics provided by this application.

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, CROP YIELD GUARANTEES, OR ACCURACY OF AGRONOMIC DATA.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL CROP PLOT & SENTRY, ITS DEVELOPERS, OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CROP LOSS, PHYTOTOXIC LEAF DAMAGE, SOIL CONTAMINATION, LOSS OF PROFITS, OR PERSONAL HARM ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS APPLICATION.

8. Modifications & Governing Law

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time by updating this page with a revised effective date. Your continued use of the Service following posted revisions constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States.

9. Questions & Inquiries

For questions regarding these terms, please contact us via our Community Feedback Survey or review the author agronomy credentials on our Mission Page.