Farming is a meticulous industry as it requires farmers to develop their sensory skills to successfully grow crops and raise poultry. The challenge with using these five faculties is that accuracy can vary depending on the individual. It also takes practice and experience, and failure to hone these skills can result in a huge loss. Moreover, innate talent plays a role in the success rate
Technology has the potential to aid farmers, especially in precision agriculture. According to a study by Jorge Mendes et al (2020), the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in agriculture is unavoidable. This lead to the creation of e-Agriculture, “which focuses on improving agricultural development through the use of various technologies.”
Mobile applications combine agricultural knowledge and digital technology. Apps can fall under three categories namely crop operations, farm management, and information systems (Mendes et al, 2020). Those who are interested in using such apps for their agricultural activities can take a look at the following options.
The 10 Best Agriculture Apps
1. Agri Farming – App for Agri, Farming, Gardening
Agri Farming is rated 4.6 stars on Google Play Store with more than 10,000 downloads. It was created to provide in-depth information on various farming practices. It is designed for individuals who are only starting with the industry.
Some of the modern agriculture methods tackled in this application include Hydroponic and aquaponic farming, as well as poly house, greenhouse, vertical, and livestock farming.
Users can easily look for the information they need by sorting through the categories namely agricultural, vegetable, livestock, and fruit farming. This is easy to use, especially with customizable settings to improve readability even in various farming conditions.
2. OneSoil Scouting: Farming Tool
OneSoil Scouting received 4.5 stars with more than 100,000 downloads on the Google Play Store. It lets farmers watch their farms using their mobile phones. It uses satellite imagery to monitor vegetation index and the health of crops.
The same technology is used to mark the boundaries of the farm. Through this app, farmers can take down notes, work offline, check the weather forecast, and growth stages. They can also share these notes with their peers.
3. Agriculture News – Agriculture News & Reviews
Being updated with various agriculture techniques and farming practices can keep farmers competitive. Agriculture News brings important news and updates in the worldwide agriculture scene to farmers’ phones.
It sources its news from various newspapers and magazines across the globe such as Science Daily, AgWired, The Economist, CDC, and Farmers Weekly. It is accessible in different languages to make it more friendly for a worldwide audience. This app got 4.5 stars and 10,000 downloads on Google Play Store.
4. Soil Sampler
Farmers can easily take soil samples using Soil Sampler, which gained 4.4 stars and more than 100,000 downloads on the Play Store. This app helps users go to the right position to pick up soil, which can save time and energy.
It is useful for getting NDVI or plant growth index, plant seeding, and fertilization. Farmers that focus on corn, soybean, barley, and cereal or grains. It can be used with Garmin Glo and Garmin Glo 2.
5. My Poultry Manager – Farm App
For those who focus on poultry farming, this application can help in tracking the flock, eggs, feeding, and feed supply. It generates visual reports to help farmers monitor their production, purchase, usage, acquisition, and reduction.
This app helps backup and restore data using Google Drive. It can also be secured with passcodes to minimize security risks. It obtained 4.4 stars and over 10,000 installs.
6. Agrio – Precision Farming Made Easy!
This AI-powered application helps farmers keep track of their crops and take care of them, especially if they contract diseases. It is designed to identify plant diseases and pests. This is why it is touted as a digital plant doctor.
It utilizes satellite imagery to monitor the farm, provide integrated pest management, and maintain a list of all crops within the farm. It can also store pictures of symptomatic plants, offer weather data, and push alerts in case of issues. It currently has 4.4 stars with more than 100,000 installs on Google Play Store,
7. Plantix – Your Crop Doctor
Another plant doctor app is Plantix, which is designed not only to detect pests and diseases but to do it within seconds. It also provides solutions to such issues through its database of more than 30 major crops and more than 400 diseases.
Aside from these, the application offers disease alerts, a community of farmers, cultivation tips, weather forecasts, and a fertilizer calculator. It is rated 4.4 stars on Google Play Store with more than 10,000,000 downloads.
8. Feed Calculator
This free application helps farmers save time and money when it comes to poultry feeds. It provides cost-effective feed recipes, which can be made using local ingredients. It currently only has recipes for pig and fish.
To customize the recipes, farmers just need to indicate the age and quantity of their stock. Then, they can specify available ingredients at current prices. The app will return with a recipe using the info provided. It is rated 4.3 stars in the Play Store with more than 50,000 installs.
9. Crop Farmers App
Designed for beginners, this application offers valuable information regarding various crops, trees, and vegetables. It provides details on growing conditions, soil requirements, and the proper care needed to ensure the success of the farm.
It serves as a handbook for farmers with information on growing avocado, banana, beans, carrots, cucumber, garlic, and maize, just to name a few. It has 4.3 stars and 10,000 downloads.
10. Agrobase – Weed, Disease, Insect
Farmers in need of help in identifying weeds, pests, and diseases can depend on Agrobase for help. It provides a list of registered pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides in the country.
It uses image recognition to identify symptoms and provides a solution for the condition. It has 4.2 stars and more than 500,000 downloads on Play Store.
The Takeaway
Farming can be much more accessible to individuals with resources thanks to various mobile applications. These apps can help beginners and experts alike secure the success of their farm using real data.
References
- Mendes, J., Pinho, T.M., Dos Santos F.N., Sousa, J.J., Peres, E., Boaventura-Cunha, J., Cunha, & Morais, R. (2020). Smartphone applications targeting precision agriculture practices – a systematic review. Agronomy, 10 (6). https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060855
- Agri Farming [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agrifarming.in
- OneSoil Scouting [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.onesoil.scouting
- Agriculture News [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.newsapps.agro
- Soil Sampler [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noframe.farmissoilsamples
- My Poultry Manager [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bivatec.poultry_farmers_app
- Agrio [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agrio
- Plantix [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.peat.GartenBank
- Feed Calculator [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.singlespark.feedcalc
- Crop Farmers [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bivatec.cropfarmersguide
- Agrobase [Mobile Application]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lt.farmis.apps.farmiscatalog