Software For Agribusiness: Why Is It Important?

By  //  January 26, 2022

Digitization of all processes is the main trend in modern agriculture. The use of information technology is actively included in professions that have always been considered traditional and little associated with the digital sphere. One of them is a farmer.

Many imagine an agronomist as a kind of researcher who goes into the field and knows exactly what plants need for their successful growth based on the previous experience. If this was how it worked before, the introduction of digital technologies in agriculture has changed the rules of the game.

A modern agronomist is a specialist “armed” with a smartphone or tablet with constant access to the Internet and cloud services, where information from weather stations, soil analyzers, satellites, drones, etc is available. The maximum effect from the use of all these agricultural gadgets is achieved when using professional agricultural software.

Agricultural Software and How It Works

Modern agricultural companies are actively introducing digital products into their work, which facilitate the work of engineers, agronomists, and other specialists in the field of crop production. Smart algorithms help at all stages: when examining fields, treating crops, harvesting.

Programmers work closely with agronomists and engineers, make adjustments, and digital products become more perfect every day. Today, computers can easily help decide on what is better to sow on which field, predict yields, monitor plants during the growing season, detect weather threats via farmers weather app, and distribute equipment across the fields during various activities.

 Besides, a smartphone ensures mobility and responsiveness in monitoring remote areas of the farm. And the installation of specialized farm management software makes this device even more useful for growers. Storing data on a mobile device helps to reduce the use of paper documentation and minimizes the chance of accidental filling errors. Mobile applications formalize the input of data about research or the progress of work. They also have the ability to set geotags to match data with specific field zones.

Types of Agricultural Software

All mobile applications for agronomists can be divided into the following groups:

 Reference books (encyclopedias).These apps replace hundreds of books for an agronomist. Usually they have a search in the knowledge base, which allows users to quickly find the needed information.

■ Diaries. These applications replace a notebook, pen, and calendar for an agronomist. They allow users to take notes, schedule crops, processing, etc.

■ Calculators. These applications allow the agronomist to calculate the seeding rate of grain or the rate of fertilizer application right in the field.

■ Navigators. These applications will pave the best path for the field equipment, identify uneven cultivation and plant growth, and help users save money on skipping or overlapping areas of the field.

■ Area meters. With these apps, the agronomist always knows the exact area of cultivation, can make plans for the next season, mark the area for laying out a new crop, and more.

■ Club applications. The task of prompt exchange of up-to-date information is solved by club applications. Usually, these are closed communities of professionals, in which, in real time, farmers can ask other fellow agronomists for advice on solving a particular problem.

Why Is It Important?

Modern agrarians must be mobile in every sense – quickly solve production problems and quickly adapt to new changes in the market. For many businessmen, a smartphone has become a full-fledged working tool thanks to developments at the intersection of IT and agro-industrial complex.

Modern agricultural software offers a variety of features, including:

Crop health and growth stages tracking

Remote scouting

Monitoring and tracking of all agricultural activities and inputs (fuels, fertilizers, pesticides, working hours)

Expenses tracking

Inventory management

Weather monitoring

Reporting and analytics of agricultural work

Storage of all documentation in one place.

Faced with climate change, rising costs, and other global challenges, farmers must make the most of existing resources. Software applications and innovative technologies can become a faithful assistant for agribusiness owners in any field of agriculture, whether it is data collection using smart technology, sensor technology, or mobile weather applications.

In addition, they will help farmers stay connected in real time with all employees, while increasing the efficiency of the common cause.