11 useful ag apps for the new year

With hundreds of thousands of apps out there, it can be difficult to find apps that are truly beneficial to our purpose as agriculturalists. Here are 11 apps we believe are useful for anyone in agriculture: farmers, rancher, food enthusiasts, or those interested in learning more about farming. 

Extreme Beans

Simply enough, this application allows soybean farmers to calculate the amount of soybeans to plant per acre in order to generate the highest yield. Get it for free from the App Store or Google Play.

MRTN Calculator

Created by the University of Illinois, the Maximum Return To Nitrogen (MRTN) calculations combine the agronomics of nitrogen rate research and the realities of economic fluctuations to provide a customized nitrogen rate. Available for iOs on iTunes.

Connected Farm

Trimble’s Connected Farm scout app uses GPS in a whole new way to map field boundaries, locate irrigation pivots, mark flags, and enter scouting information for points, lines, and polygon areas. It includes an extensive list of weeds, insects, and diseases, and allows you to take pictures and log the severity of a problem, crop conditions, and more. 

Purdue Pest ID

The Purdue Extension Corn and Soybean app provides a range of tools, but the weed and pest identification seems particularly helpful. Hundreds of high-quality images and videos help you diagnose problems and understand common issues in corn and soybean production. Submit samples to the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory easily when you download it from iTunes.

ID Weeds 

Developed by the University of Missouri's College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources' Division of Plant Science, ID Weeds is an on-the-go tool that helps growers identify weeds in their fields and pastures using the app’s photos and detailed descriptions. You can get this app on either your Apple or Android.

Weed Spotter

Having more than one weed ID app can be helpful! The Weed Spotter app from Bayer CropScience provides photos and detailed descriptions of almost 100 weeds for users to browse through. Feel free to search for a specific weed or peruse through them in an A-to-Z format after you download this app from iTunes or Google Play.

Locavore

Awarded one of App Craver’s Best iOS apps for Foodies
, O’Reilly’s #1 app for Shopping Green, and One of Time's Top 10 iPhone apps, Locavore is the seasonal, local food network app to have. Locavore uses your phone’s GPS location to find farms, farmers’ markets, and CSAs nearest you. Read about them on their profile page and check out what’s in season.  

USDA News Reader

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) News Reader grabs the top stories from the USDA and delivers them to your iPhone/iTouch.

 This app helps you keep up with the latest USDA news in one place. 

News feeds include USDA Home; Latest News; and Recovery Plans, Programs, and Reports. Available for iOs only.

• Want updates on relevant reports? Follow @agriculturecom on Twitter.

Apply Yourself

The Apply Yourself app from Agri-Inject automates injection pump selection by taking the complicated guesswork out of selecting and calibrating an injection pump for virtually any type of application. By answering five simple sizing questions, the app tells you which Agri-Inject pump works best for your application. Maybe you don’t use Agri-Inject, but it’s fun to see where technology is going! Get more details on this new app and find where to download it here.

Farming Simulator 14

Start your agricultural career (at least a virtual one) in Farming Simulator 14 on mobile and tablet! Control your farm and its fields to fulfill your harvesting dreams.

As well as a refined look and feel, Farming Simulator 14 gives you double the number of farm machines to control, all authentically modeled on equipment from real agricultural manufacturers, including Case IH, Deutz-Fahr, Lamborghini, Kuhn, Amazone, and Krone. This realistic game allows you to plant and sell wheat, canola, and corn as well as mow and windrow grass to feed to your cattle.

SF Plus

Bring the pages of Successful Farming magazine to life with SF Plus. 

Experience exclusive interactive content on your smartphone or tablet in a unique augmented reality environment. Simply use your camera to scan pages of the printed magazine to bring them to life with animation, video, additional photographs, and expanded editorial
 coverage. 

Users of SF Plus have access to exclusive deals and
 features from advertisers in Successful Farming magazine.

Try it out with your Apple or Android devices! You'll be glad you did.

• Looking for more? 
  Sift through our App Tray for almost 100 apps we’ve found that are beneficial and relevant to you.