by Roger Schmidt, IPCM computer specialist
These five free apps help Wisconsin farmers and crop consultants quickly do calculations and find answers concerning crop and pest management. The apps all use University of Wisconsin science and research-based information sources. By using a smartphone or tablet, a person is no longer tied to their desk looking through piles of papers or webpages, and does not have to do complicated math in their heads.
This article presents a quick summary of what each of these five apps can do for you. The apps are available for both Apple and Android mobile devices.
- Wisconsin’s Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator
- Nitrogen Price Calculator
- IPM Toolkit news and media reader
- Corn Crop Calculators
- NPK – Manure and Legume Credit Calculator
Corn N Rate Calculator
This app is designed to assist producers in selecting a nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate that improves profitability when N and corn prices fluctuate. The app does the calculations needed to give you the university recommended N rates for your specific operation and economics.
iPhone and iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/corn-n-rate-calculator/id455298473?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ipcm.calc.nrate
N Price Calculator
This app converts the tonnage price of each fertilizer product you enter into a price per pound of nitrogen — allowing for “apples to apples” price comparisons. By comparing the price per pound of nitrogen from multiple fertilizer sources, the cheapest source of nitrogen can be identified on the personal price list you create.
iPhone and iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/app/n-price-calculator/id455090088?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ipcm.calc.nprice
IPM Toolkit, news & media app
This app allows a smartphone or tablet user to read news articles, view videos, download publications, and access pictures related to agricultural operations. The information is constantly updated from UWEX specialists’ blog and Twitter posts. There are playlists of over 90 crop and pest management videos. There is a search function that connects to an internet database of over 250,000 crop and pest management pictures.
Video demonstration of the IPM Toolkit app >> [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dC3MpSIyeg[/youtube]
iPhone and iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ipm-toolkit/id504685615?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ipcm.tool.kit
Crop Calculators for Corn
Crop Calculators is an app that lets corn growers calculate corn grain yields, corn maturity dates in relation to predicted frost, and corn silage price adjustments in relation to moisture content using their smartphones.
iPhone and iPad: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/crop-calculators/id692861569?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ipcm.calc.cropmanager
NPK Credits – Manure & Legume Nutrient Credit Calculator
This app includes three calculators that do the NPK credits math for you. Farmers can save money and protect the environment by taking credit for the fertilizer value of manure and legume crops. The value of these credits are subtracted from the base (unadjusted) fertilizer recommendations for a field. For manure, the app will calculate using your specific values from a lab analysis or from average book values the university has recorded over time. iPhone and iPad: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/npk-credits-manure-legume/id954888966?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=npm.calc.ipcm.npmcalc
Mobile device and internet use is changing how global and local agriculture operates and expands their businesses. Farmers in Wisconsin, like the rest of society, are increasing their use of smartphones and other related handheld devices for communication and information gathering. Those who invest in serving farmers’ mobile needs help agricultural businesses move forward.