Four apps to improve productivity and more

There are a range of apps available on the South African market to help farmers improve efficiency and production. We explore four of them here.

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In an article on page 37 of this issue of Farmer’s Weekly, we speak specifically about Aerobotics and the apps the company uses to improve on-farm production and efficiency. However, there are many other apps that have been developed to help farmers improve crop productivity, on-farm efficiency and even marketplace trading. In this article, we list a few more that may be of interest to new and established farmers.

SMARTFARM

SmartFarm is an innovative app designed for growers and agricultural advisers to help them keep crops healthy. According to the developers, the app enables farmers to effectively respond to disease pressure and determine the optimal timing for applying crop protection products.

“Our app integrates advanced artificial intelligence-driven weather models with in-depth knowledge of crops, weather risks and crop protection. This is made possible with insights from leading experts like Dr Joost Nieveen and Erno Bouma, and knowledge from agricultural universities such as Wageningen University & Research,” say the app developers.

The app translates general weather data into specific information for the microclimate of crops. Sixty-five crops are covered in the app.

The SmartFarm app provides crucial data for crop health, including:

• Disease pressure warnings for more than 70 crops and 160 diseases;

• Advice for choosing the optimal spraying time for crop protection products;

• Details on spraying conditions for ideal application;

• Current and historical weather data at the plot level, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed and direction;

• Unique agricultural parameters, such as leaf wetness period, evaporation, dew point and solar radiation;