17 Agriculture Apps That Will Help You Farm Smarter In 2017
Ag professionals are working smarter, not harder, than ever before. Smart farming technologies have enabled them to reduce costs, maximize yields and profits, and still be incredibly efficient in the process.
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Nutrient ROI Calculator 2.0. (update) | PotashCorp
PotashCorp’s eKonomics program, an online agricultural resource dedicated to helping farmers maximize their yields and profits, has released an updated version of its valuable return-on-investment (ROI) calculator. The latest calculator model incorporates spatial variability, giving farmers a more accurate reflection of expected nutrient response in production-sized agriculture. As a result, farmers are able to make more accurate nutrient application plans, maximizing the benefits of crop inputs and increasing their profitability. Web-based
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Sirrus Premium Upgrade | SST Software
Sirrus for iPhone and iPad helps agronomists and farmers collaborate on farming decisions by making field data accessible and easy to collect. By connecting to the agX Platform, standardized field data is available offline and can be shared with other users and applications. Sirrus now offers a premium upgrade that allows service providers to implement variable rate fertilizer application. Features include Product Labels; Safety Data Sheets; Variety Tech Sheets; Recommendation Reports; and Advanced Recommendation Editor. iPhone and iPad
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iSOYLscout | SOYL
iSOYLscout is an easy-to-use, in-field scouting app. Simply record areas or points of interest either by hand, or while on the move on foot or in a vehicle using the built-in GPS. The app can be used to record crop performance and weed infestations, as well as any other feature you want to locate across the farm. Each logged feature provides an instant area measurement. Points of interest are recorded with a text label such as ‘Broad weed’. Notes and/or a photo can also be added to the point. iSOYLscout files are uploaded to mySOYL, OneDrive, or Dropbox allowing your scouted data to be wirelessly and efficiently transferred between field and office. iPhone and iPad
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AgVault 2.0 Mobile | Sentera
AgVault 2.0 Mobile from Sentera allows users to easily fly entire fields using a DJI Phantom 4, Phantom 3, or Inspire drone. The app allows the operator to select the UAV’s altitude, sensor configuration, overlap, sideslip, and an area on their field to survey. The UAV launches from within the app, autonomously flies the predetermined route and automatically returns upon completion. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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GrainTruckPlus | John Deere
This app from John Deere helps you manage your grain harvesting fleet from your field to your preferred elevators. Know where your team members are, where the nearest elevators are, and get information about wait times at those elevators. The apps allows you to create a team to let your workers know where the combine, carts, and trucks are; find and view your favorite grain elevators, including contact information and directions; view estimates of grain elevator wait times; and securely create and share your own on-farm storage locations with your team. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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AgriSync | AgriSync Inc.
AgriSync enables farmers and advisors to connect and resolve support issues on the farm. Farmers can connect with multiple advisors from different companies to submit and receive support in real-time via video. Advisors can manage multiple service tickets through a dashboard and remote video that allows them to see what the farmer sees in real-time. A Web-based customer service dashboard allows the advisor's organization to see open cases, resolution status and farmer feedback in real-time. AgriSync announces major update. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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Ohio State PLOTS | OCV, LLC
This new app from The Ohio State University allows growers to compare the effectiveness of different management decisions within fields. Called Ohio State PLOTS, the free app enables growers, as well as consultants and others who support growers, to design replicated plot layouts by creating on-farm trials that can compare hybrids, seeding populations, fertilizer rates and nutrient management systems, among other practices and inputs. The app allows users to digitally compare various treatments within their fields to determine the best management plan for their fields, before extending financial or labor resources. The app was designed as a tool to help improve water quality in Ohio by allowing users to fine-tune nutrient management more accurately and reliably for a farm operation and by encouraging on-farm studies. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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Yara ImageIT | Yara International
Yara ImageIT is a farming app designed to measure nitrogen uptake in a crop and generate a nitrogen recommendation based on photographs of the crop. The app turns a farmer’s smartphone camera into a high-tech crop nutrient tester. ImageIT calculates nitrogen uptake based on leaf cover, leaf green color and estimated fraction of brown leaves. Besides showing the user how much nitrogen to apply to obtain optimal yield and crop quality, ImageIT provides quality assured fertilizer recommendations with Yara preferred product and contact information of the closest Yara office. Android, iPhone, iPad and Windows
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Pocket Rain Gauge | Agrible
Pocket Rain Gauge from Agrible brings accurate, location-specific rainfall measurements delivered instantly. Log in with your free Morning Farm Report account to get rainfall totals for all of the fields tied to your account. The app includes feedback functionality so you can let Agrible know how accurate its measurements are. Pocket Rain Gauge data is updated every hour and reflects the previous 24 hours. The app works in the lower 48 U.S. states. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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AgCareers.com Jobs (updated) | AgCareers.com
Job seekers are provided free access to the AgCareers.com job board to search more than 4,000 active jobs at any given time throughout the U.S. and Canada. The app, which has been available since 2013, now includes better search criteria, equating to more accurate results. Seekers can narrow down available jobs through keywords, location, industry sector, industry type, career type and even by specific employer. Users can now also create an account with a job seeker profile; something that couldn't be accomplished in the previous version. The app is now capable of uploading a resume as well, a job which required a computer in the past. Resumes can be uploaded through Google Drive or DropBox, creating three methods for users to apply for a job: logging in, creating a profile, or as a guest with no profile. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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FARMapper | McFinney Agri-Finance
FARMapper is a new generation Web-based app that allows users to build farm maps quickly and efficiently. The app securely stores your map in the cloud so that it can be shared across both desktop and mobile devices. Using your Web browser, you can access your farm project from most any device. Click on any point and the application parses public land survey data for the Township, Range, Section, and quarter quarter section. It creates detail for any point that is clicked upon, and will highlight the parcel. Build custom polygons easily with the app’s drawing tools. The app also helps farmers keep track of water rights, easements, and irrigation records. Web-based
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ID Weeds | University of Missouri Extension
The University of Missouri has updated its free ID Weeds app to be more user friendly. The app contains information on more than 430 weed species common to fields, pastures, lawns, gardens and aquatic areas in Missouri and the surrounding area. The app allows users to choose from drop-down boxes to input plant characteristics and then identify the weed. Each weed contains detailed information and at least one photograph to help narrow down the choices. Users can also search by scientific or common name, or choose from an alphabetical list of all the weeds in the app. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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mAgri Solutions | MyriadMobile
mAgri Solutions from MyriadMobile is a mobile app that can be branded to your local elevator. For example, the developer recently partnered with The Arthur Companies on a solution that will provide its growers with aggregated information about their elevator scale tickets, contracts, futures, cash bids, and weather. The app allows growers to monitor quotas during pre-harvest to ensure they do not go above their quota limit, and truck weights during both pre-harvest and main harvest to ensure truck fleet stays within legal road weight limits. Growers can also record items such as planting date, varieties planted, herbicide and fungicide applications, and other pertinent data. Growers can stay compliant with co-op reporting requirements by putting information in the app, while in the field. This allows co-ops to get more accurate information. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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Descartes Crops | Descartes Labs
Descartes Labs provides weekly yield forecasts for states and counties in the U.S. via its Descartes Crop app. While USDA NASS provides monthly forecasts at the national level and for select states, with Descartes Labs, you can see your county’s end of year yield, now. Add additional states and counties to see their forecasted yield as well. Plus, you can see the community’s opinion and share your own thoughts through polls and comments. Forecasts are updated weekly and push notifications keep you up-to-date. iPhone and iPad
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Ag Guardian | Ag Guardian LLC
Ag Guardian was developed by a farmer for a farmer to save time and money. The app makes sure you are only paying for the supplies you order. Once you get your field names and acres set up, it takes less than a minute to enter an application. The app keeps up with where you purchased the supply, the price quoted, and the applicator that put it out. It even has a page that can be used to request price quotes from suppliers to assist farmers in locating the lowest price for input supplies. Ag Guardian will keep a running total of your inputs, and you can request a monthly report from your supplier listing your totals. If the app total matches the supplier total, you don't have to go through all those tickets looking for mistakes. Android, iPhone, and iPad
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Mixmate | Praxidyn
Praxidyn recently launched Mixmate – the portable agricultural chemical blending system. Along with this introduction, the company plans to release the Mixmate Android app. The app can be set up ahead of time with prescriptions and jobs. The app performs the calculations according to the prescription. When the operator is ready to mix, simply select the job and confirm the batch size and settings. The app is optimized to make it fast and easy. Accurate work records are generated during the mixing process. Reporting can be done from the Android device. This is useful for inventory tracking or reporting in operations with individual users, multiple users or large multi-location operations. Your data is securely backed up to the cloud, and updates are automatic for both the app and the electronics in Mixmate. Android
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AgSentry | HD Precision Analytics
AGSentry from HD Precision Analytics is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that offers simple data service and an actionable analytics tool. It focuses on seed sales tracking and opportunity in a convenient mobile platform. AGSentry increases tracking efficiencies for multiple brands; equips field management with easy to understand dashboard and performance indicators; and aligns sales and marketing with shared goals and metrics. It also improves data governance; curates and integrates sales data across multiple brands; and establishes pace to meet goals and monitor progress. Customization is also available. Web-based
View all
Nutrient ROI Calculator 2.0. (update) | PotashCorp

Sirrus Premium Upgrade | SST Software

iSOYLscout | SOYL

AgVault 2.0 Mobile | Sentera

GrainTruckPlus | John Deere

AgriSync | AgriSync Inc.

Ohio State PLOTS | OCV, LLC

Yara ImageIT | Yara International

Pocket Rain Gauge | Agrible

AgCareers.com Jobs (updated) | AgCareers.com

FARMapper | McFinney Agri-Finance

ID Weeds | University of Missouri Extension

mAgri Solutions | MyriadMobile

Descartes Crops | Descartes Labs

Ag Guardian | Ag Guardian LLC

Mixmate | Praxidyn

AgSentry | HD Precision Analytics

And there is perhaps no better example of smart farming than with the mobile app. It has become a game changer for on-the-go growers and ag retailers, enabling them to perform critical tasks wherever and whenever they need it. From scouting fields and managing agronomic data, to flying drones and creating farm maps, there is virtually no job that a farming app can’t do.
To meet this growing demand, developers continue to launch apps that are useful, user friendly, and simple to use. “A mobile app must be intuitive and easy to use, or it will not be used,” says Doug Applegate, CEO and owner of Praxidyn, which plans to offer an Android app for its new portable ag chemical blending system, Mixmate. “We expect to be able to use an app with little or no training.”
The Mixmate app, along with 16 other new or recently updated apps, are featured in my seventh annual list of agriculture apps available for Androids, iPads, iPhones, and more. I hope the apps listed in the slideshow above can help you farm smarter in 2017.
Be sure to also check my lists from past years (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011).
If you have a favorite new app that is on my list or one that is not, tell me about it at [email protected] or post a comment below.
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Matt Hopkins is Senior Online Editor for the Agribusiness Group at Meister Media Worldwide (MMW), including such brands as CropLife, CropLife IRON, AgriBusiness Global, Global Agtech Initiative, and Cotton Grower. He is responsible for managing an array of digital products, including newsletters, websites, video, and social media. Hopkins originally joined MMW in 1994 as an editor for Greenhouse Grower magazine before transitioning to Business Manager of its MeisterPro division. He has a Communications Degree from Cleveland State University. See all author stories here.