With the increased popularity and use of smart phones in everyday life an in agriculture, there are a number of free farm management apps now on the market that are worth checking out.
1) Trimble is proud to offer their “Connected Farm” app. You can use this app to map field boundaries, flag points of interest, and enter scouting information. Scouting attributes include an extensive list of weeds, insects and diseases, and allows you to log the severity of a problem, crop conditions, and more.
2) Dekalb Asgrow offers an app called “The agSeedSelect”. This app is designed to recommend the right seed for your specific fields. It uses your zip code and lays out a personalized seed guide listing the specific varieties, by crop, that had the best results in your geographic area. They also offer a web based verison of this app as well.
3) Pioneer also has their “Mobile Pioneer” app that is a portal to their web site and web based resources. Along with the Pioneer product offerings, this app offers wether, markets, and other ag. news.
4) The Ag PhD Harvest Loss Calculator helps you determine how much of your crop you are leaving in the field after harvest. Simply select your crop and input the number of seeds/kernels you count on the ground in a square foot. The app returns a harvest loss calculation in both bushels per acre and pounds per acre.
5) The Ag PhD Planting Population Calculator aids you in determining planting population and stand counts for the crops on your farm. I like this app particularly to do the quick math to determine my final plant stand/plant population as I consider the need for a replant.
6) The Ag PhD Drainage Tile Calculator helps you determine your tile supply and capabilities for your field drainage project. You can calculate acres drained for single wall and dual wall tile in any size and grade, the pipe size needed to effectively drain acres, and the length of pipe you will need to purchase to complete your project.
7) Mosaic offers useful nutrient management tool in their new “Nutrient Removal” app. This app lists the amount of nutrients removed by various crops based on yield. The downside I have found to this app is that the yields are pre-set in the app, and not all crops have options to change the yield to fit closer to your specific farm history.
Most of these apps are available for both Apple and Android products. Several others apps area also currently available via the Apple iTunes App Store or Google Play. Like anything, with free apps, you sometimes get what you pay for…check the source before you install any app, and read the reviews if they are provided to see others experience first.
