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There could be an app for that

Extension educators are helping farmers navigate through what ag apps work best.

Monica Jean with Michigan State University says finding the low-hanging fruit of ag technology can help farmers solve some problems for free with little effort.

“I don’t have a lot of time and I think a lot of farmers are in a situation where they don’t have a lot of money.”  

Jean says common free apps to look for can calibrate sprayers, map the spread of pest or diseases and identify weeds.

“You can download it, you can try it and if you don’t like it, you can delete it.”     

If cell or internet service is an issue, Jean recommends trying apps to see what functions are limited or if they can work offline.  And she recommends working with ag providers to take inventory of services farmers might not know they have.

Jean is working with specialists in Ohio, Kansas, and Indiana to help farmers understand emerging mobile technology, big data, drones, and prescription field data.