Smartphones can help farmers record field data, but steer clear of free apps, says agrologist
Most smartphone owners don’t come close to using the device to its full potential, says the manager of the Conservation Learning Centre near Prince Albert, Sask.
“You have a brain and only use 10 percent of it. Get a smartphone and we probably only use two percent of what it’s capable of,” George Lewko told an Agriculture-Applied Research Management (Agri-ARM) update forum during the Crop Production Show in Saskatoon Jan. 15.
An explosion is happening in the field of smartphone application software development as farming technologies continue expanding.
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“There’s thousands of apps available now,” said Lewko, who is also a forensic agrologist.
The self-described social media fan talked about the many uses and opportunities people in agriculture have available on their smartphones and tablets.
“Last year was sort of the beginning of it, and this year there are apps for just about everything,” he said.
“They’ve (app developers) realized, ‘OK that’s a good thing, farmer’s have a smartphone in their pocket … they want to keep apps simple and small.’ ”
He said app prices range from a few dollars to more than $50, but Lewko warned farmers to avoid the free apps.
“The free version usually exposes you to a whole pile of Malware (malicious software). They’ll get all your email contacts, your contact lists and you give them permission to do that to get a free app,” he said.
“I’d rather pay for stuff because it’s much more private.”
Lewko’s most used tools, after talking and texting, are the still and video cameras, which he said farmers need to use more.
“One of the biggest things is remind people to record things,” he said.
“You have an issue in a field and you don’t take a picture of it and you’ve got a camera on your hip…. Later on it can come back and help you so much. There’s no excuse for not having pictures nowadays.”
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