Best Soil Apps
There is no denying the overarching benefits of technology in agriculture. Mobile and cloud-based applications have made managing farm processes easier and cost-effective. They have helped mitigate losses, improve the decision-making process and increase the quality and quality of agriculture in general.
There is practically an app for every stage in the agricultural process, such as weather forecasting, soil sampling, crop quality, land management, fertilizer utilization, and so forth. When these apps you can grow your plants healthy and with ease.
In this post, we will particularly look at soil apps and why they are important. We will also recommend some of the best soil apps.
What are soil apps?
Soil apps are mobile or cloud-based applications that help farmers determine the soil condition of their land. With soil apps, you can determine the amount of moisture in the soil, temperature, pH, rock content, and nutrient composition through soil sampling.
Soil apps can be used in conjunction with other agriculture apps. For instance, you can use a soil app with the weather forecasting app to plan for the planting as well as the harvesting season.
Unlike web-based soil solutions, mobile apps do not restrict farmers to a PC. You can access all the soil data anytime, anywhere.
Soil apps play a crucial role in helping farmers make better land management decisions for improved agriculture.
Why use soil apps
Soil apps have a massive impact on the agriculture industry. They bring with them a lot of benefits, here are some of them:
- First and foremost, soil apps are not restricted to farmers only. Anyone interested in soil quality data has access, including land developers, students, and engineers.
- Soil apps allow you to record and store your graphic summaries and reports for future reference or retrieval.
- Soil apps also eliminate the need for paper records that often get lost or misplaced.
- Soil apps provide accurate information for further analysis.
5 Best Soil Apps
1. SoilWeb app
The SoilWeb for Android is perhaps the most popular soil app. It’s the mobile version of the Soilweb GMAP web application.
Soilweb app can be used by farmers, gardeners, students, and ranchers to understand the soil in a given location and gain access to soil survey information. Soilweb uses the cellphone’s GPS receiver to determine the soil properties.
By just inquiring, users can retrieve a graphic summary of the different soil types indicating the soil names, taxonomic categories, and locations of each soil type.
In addition, users get a link to the corresponding series description, which categorizes the soil further by color, texture, depth, and rock content. You also get to know the physical and chemical properties of each soil type.
2. mySoil
mySoil lets you in the European soil map. It gives you access to the latest soil mapping data in the UK and across Europe.
From this single app, you get to learn soil properties like texture, organic matter, depth, temperature, and pH of the soil beneath your feet.
mySoil is a free app created by the British Geological Survey in collaboration with the Center for Ecology and Hydrology. It can be used by farmers, gardeners, environmentalists, students, and just about anyone wishing to learn about soil properties in Europe.
mySoil is easy to navigate as well as input data. It is similarly easy to translate the output results.
3. PrecisionEarth iPad
The PrecisionEarth iPad is a soil sampling app created by Precision earth company designed specifically for iPad users. In addition, you can use it to collect grower and field sampling data.
While the decision to create an iPad-only app has been met with criticism, PrecisionEarth insists that iPads’ large screen and smooth touch interface influenced their choice. It makes the app easy to use for data collection.
PrecisionEarth allows users to do soil sampling either using the grid system or the free form system even in areas where there are no 3G or Wi-Fi networks provided. Users only have to pre-load data before starting the fieldwork.
You can download the app at the Apple app store for just $250 per user.
4. Soil Sampler
Soil Sampler is another very popular soil app. It is an effective tool for getting precise soil samples and therefore resulting in accurate soil analysis.
Soil sampler is a time saver. It helps you pick up soil samples in the shortest time possible without you having to literally move around the farm doing it.
The app is created for farmers, farming institutions, and agronomists and is ideal for those cultivating wheat, barley, corn, rapeseed, and various seeds and grains.
The app works best with external GPS antennas such as the GARMIN GLO and the GARMIN GLO 2.
Soil sampler provides accurate sampling navigation, allows you to save your soil sampling and fields, and It’s easy to set up the grid size.
5. Soil Test Pro
Soil test pro is a paid app developed by TapLogic. Most farmers prefer it for precision soil sampling as it makes soil sampling so much simpler, saving time and money.
Soil test pro can be downloaded to multiple devices but with a single user account.
The app has an easy-to-use interface with a high contrasting viewing option, making visibility better on bright sunny days.
The app allows you to either sample by zones, by splits, or by whole fields. And the best thing about soil test pro is that it can work without cellular service. This is a great advantage for farmers working outside the network coverage areas.
The app works with most soil testing labs in the United States. It takes only 5-7 days to get the results which are sent directly to your web headquarters, where you can view and print.
Other benefits include drawing field boundaries using the GPS, fertilizer recommendations, viewing past soil testing history, and unlimited access to the Precision Ag Specialists. Learn how to use the app here.
Conclusion
Information technology has revolutionized agriculture. It has drastically improved the quality of agriculture. Just by using GPS-enabled apps, you can quickly tell the pH, moisture content, rock content, type, and other essential soil properties.