Smart phones, tablets and apps are new and increasingly important tools in a farmer’s management toolbox.
From remotely controlling equipment to automatically downloading favorite farm magazines, these technologies are changing the way producers and agri-business professionals manage information in the 21st century.
With that said, it is imperative agricultural professionals acquire information from quality, reliable sources, particularly unbiased science and research-based sources, such as the University of Wisconsin. This leads me to introducing one of UW’s newest apps for agriculture.
The IPM Toolkit app was developed by the staff of the University of Wisconsin Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. This app, available for Android and Apple devices, allows users to access timely IPM related news articles, view videos, download publications, and search for pictures to aid in using IPM practices on their agricultural operations. Specific features include access to the following:
• Wisconsin Crop Manager blog and UW-Extension specialist Twitter posts;
• UW IPM YouTube channel containing dozens of short educational clips on sustainable agriculture, crop health and fertility, pests and scouting and invasive weeds;
• Publication library of IPM materials developed by the UW-Extension IPM program. The list contains PDF documents and ePub books, all of which can be in iBooks or other compatible apps for offline use.
• Picture search of more than 175,000 images, hosted by IMPimages.org to aid in field observations and scouting.
So, how might this all work? A producer could use the IPM Toolkit app to find an agricultural topic of interest while looking at the latest UW specialist’s blog or Twitter post in the app. To research the topic further, the producer could then view a video, read a news article or publication, or search for pictures related to the topic. If sharing that information with others is warranted, the app can then be used to create and send an email that contains pictures or links. All this can be done inside the app using a smart phone or tablet and the Internet.
Just playing around with the app today, I read the latest Wisconsin Pest Bulletin suggesting that soybean aphid scouting should intensify, as economic threshold levels have recently been found in Calumet County on July 11.
I then watched a video entitled “Scouting Soybean Aphid in Wisconsin,” read a publication entitled “Should I spray for soybean aphid?” and viewed dozens of photographs of soybean aphids to make sure I knew exactly what they, and their damage, look like. I did this all from my smart phone in a matter of minutes.
You may be asking, why do I like the app? It is easy to use, and since my phone is always with me, I always have access to up-to-date information. The IPM group does a great job of getting timely information out via their blog and Twitter, so I know I am keeping up with what is going on pest-wise across the state. If I am bored and have a few minutes, I can read the Twitter feeds and blog to keep current of IPM issues in the state.
If I am out in the field and not sure exactly what type of thistle I am looking at, I can go to the picture section and compare pictures to verify my identification. If my toddler son is bored in the grocery store, a video on slugs in corn buys me a couple of minutes to get through the checkout in relative peace.
So, useful? Multipurpose? Free? The answer is yes to all of these questions.
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to look over the app and see if it can be another digital tool in your farm management toolbox. The app can be downloaded for free from both iTunes and Google play.
For additional information or answers to IMP or technical questions, contact Roger Schmidt or Bryan Jensen at ipcm.wisc.edu/contacts.
Categories
