Rapid advances in technology have not passed by the agricultural sphere. There is currently a huge number of farm management software for a variety of purposes on the market. The growing popularity of such tools helps farmers to increase both efficiency and productivity while ensuring sustainable food production. This implies significant benefits not only for the industry, but for the environment as well, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the sector by 45% in the next 20 years, Rethinkx reports. We’ll explain what these tools are and what exactly they can do by going through one of the best farming software currently available.
EOS Crop Monitoring
Crop Monitoring is a tool for crop advisors, farmers, insurance companies, ag suppliers, advisors, and consultants. The platform processes and analyzes huge volumes of data on the fly, applying its own algorithms to pull out the necessary information from satellite imagery to visualize it on one screen. Here are the main features the tool offers:
- Monitoring of crop health based on 5 vegetation indices throughout the growing season
- Weather data (current, historical, 14-day forecast)
- Zoning of fields based on changes in NDVI values to identify field’s most productive areas for the application of effective VRA approach to seeding and fertilization
- Field leaderboard to see the most and least productive fields sorted out by NDVI measurements to see which ones require more attention
- Field activity log to keep track of all performed and planned activities on all fields in one place
- Scouting for remote scouts and scouting tasks management thanks to a convenient mobile app where scouts can report on tasks even offline to save time and effort
- Data Manager to upload datasets from ag vehicles to analyze the efficiency of activities performed by field equipment for easy detection of overapplication, underapplication, or missed areas.
Farm Lead
This software was developed by farmers for farmers. It enables advanced market research, lowered brokerage fees and risks possibilities, price visibility, and grain testing with the aim to enhance transparency, efficiency, and equality on the market. Its online marketplace provides growers with the opportunity to find new customers and make the most profitable deal.
Trimble
This platform delivers software solutions that form a bridge between physical and digital worlds, enabling customers to enhance efficiency, product quality, safety and sustainability. And that is possible thanks to innovative technologies in data analytics, modeling, positioning, and connectivity. For instance, Trimble precision ag technology aids growers in achieving profitability maximization across all farm operations. Using its software, farmers can plan and execute farm activities, track changes in the field, and keep record of the entire growing season.
EasyKeeper
This software for livestock farming allows for managing herd records, keeping track of herd performance and health, and making smarter management decisions. The tool offers comfortable access to a variety of features to ease all aspects of herd records management.
FarmERP
This farm management platform provides an advanced level of analytics to enable smart business decisions. It aids businesses to form elements of strategies around the farm, covering
such processes as production, purchase, inventory, planning, supply chain and financial data management, farm profile and account management, etc.
Open Food Network (OFN)
This software is ultimately a network of layers that are self-organised but work together for building new and enhanced food systems globally. The key values here are about relationships, ecosystems, global commons, transparency, and constant evolution. OFN tool is designed to be very responsive since it can be used by food producers, retailers and distributors all over the world.
Using this software, agricultural producers can either sell food to buyers and shoppers directly or via the constantly growing network of farmers’ markets, shops, food hubs, co-ops that use the same online system to supply these goods to restaurants, hospitals, schools, homes, and more through a net of pick-up sites.
The software plays a great role in waste reduction by allowing street shops to reduce the amount of produce going to waste by offering it online. And different charities can use OFN to distribute surplus food to food banks and people in need. Besides, communities can use the tool to set up food hubs and bring together sales from local producers.
On top of that, the software offers a click-and-collect service for shoppers unable to attend the market. They can now order produce in advance, while producers unable to attend the market (or afford stalls) can now enable their produce to be put into customers’ pre-prepared boxes.