A Complete Guide to Weed Identification Apps
With the advancement in technology over the years, smartphones have become a necessity in our life. A recent survey shows that smartphone subscriptions have surpassed 6 billion by this time, and in the next few years, it will pass by a hundred million users. Since this advancement has made life easier in many ways, it has also been beneficial in the agricultural fields.
There are around 8000 weed species that are grown worldwide and identified yet. But, not all of them are useful. According to plant specialists, only 250 species are important in the agriculture world. So, it is of utmost importance that you identify it correctly. If you are in the agricultural field, you must know how important it is to identify the weeds growing in the area. It is essential to determine whether it is a native weed plant or some new species. Identifying weed is not easy at all, and most of the time, two different species may look similar at different life cycle stages. So, before proceeding further, you must correctly identify them to avoid any mistake in their control or growth.
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What Are Weed Identification Apps?
Weed identification apps are a great help to agricultural researchers, passionate gardeners, and wildlife explorers who need to identify different weed species but can’t find the relevant information in a shorter time. These apps help people identify the weed species and then take the necessary measures required for them. These apps provide adequate and authentic data regarding the weed plant by just providing minimal information.
Why Use The Weed Identification App?
Weeds are unwanted plants that often grow with other plant species. Sometimes they resemble the native plant species, and if not identified immediately, they may grow along. However, it is essential to identify the weed species that grow on your farm because the same strategy you apply to control most weeds will not work for all of them. To select the most effective herbicide, you must know the weed species in the first place.
Here we have listed a few apps that help in the easy identification of weeds and provide you the authentic information about them.
1. PlantNet Plant Identification
PlantNet is one of the most popular and authentic applications that provides information regarding wild plants by just clicking a photograph of them. This app serves as a great tool in plant identification as you don’t have to reach out to a botanist every time you find a weed plant in your field.
According to the app developers, PlantNet can identify 20,000 different plant species to date and continuously add more plants in the directory. You can search the plant by name or by clicking the photograph of any part of the plant. But while clicking the photo, make sure that the image is clear enough to get the most relevant data. Users use this app for their plant identification purposes, but they also keep adding new plants and information if they observe any.
The latest version of the app includes the following features;
- Recognize species by genus or family.
- Differentiated data revisions.
- Multi-flora identification
- Access to different floras.
- Access to navigate at the different taxonomic levels.
- Verified by the community and field specialists.
- Accurate information.
- User-friendly, just upload a photo, and you will get all the relevant information.
- Identify a plant, based on its parts.
2. LeafSnap Plant Identification
LeafSnap is your go-to app if you love gardening but also have a busy schedule in your daily life. LeafSnap helps you identify almost ninety percent of the plant species you find in your garden. Take a snap of the weed you identify in your neighborhood and upload it in the app; instantly, you will get the results. LeafSnap not only identifies the plant species but also provides all the necessary information for your plant.
Moreover, LeafSnap provides you the opportunity to set the planting tasks so that you don’t miss out on watering your plants any day. It helps you manage and track your planting habits and provides reminders to keep up with the track.
LeafSnap app includes the following features;
- Identifying different plant species.
- Use-friendly
- Comprehensive plant database that updates regularly
- Track your gardening routine.
- Manages plant care
- Create customized plant collection
- Send reminders for plant care.
3. PictureThis- Plant Identifier
PictureThis is a plant identification app that helps users identify plants, flowers, weeds, and trees. PictureThis can identify more than 17,000 plant species with 98 percent accuracy, and it is one of the plant identification apps which botanists support.
Not only does it identify the plant species, but it also provides complete and authentic information about the plant. One of the distinguishing features of this app is the consultation with botany experts. This app collaborates with the botanic experts available on chat to provide consultation for your plant needs.
Key Features of PictureThis app;
- Identify plant species instantly.
- Provide information about different plant species.
- Connect with horticulture specialists.
- Provide valuable tips for your plant care.
- Connect to the plant-loving community.
- Give reminders to track your gardening.
- Consultation with specialists.
Conclusion
Whether you are a gardening enthusiast, an agriculture student, a researcher, or someone who is just an occasional gardener, plant identification apps can help you with your planting needs. Most of the time, when you can’t find the literature or a botanist around you, these apps help you identify the new plant in your garden.
The applications mentioned in this article are the most widely used apps with slightly different and unique features. Above all, these are all the apps that are updated continuously and comprise a helping community that adds any new information they find.
To make the most of these plant identification apps and identify the plants correctly, you must capture a clear photograph of the plants from different angles that allow the app to give you the most relevant data.