Mobile app acts as virtual farm manager

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Rice Research Institute is developing a virtual farming assistant designed as mobile application for smartphones.

Targeted for launch next year, the AgriDoc App features knowledge links, farm journals, and farm management tools. It can also control advanced instruments in the farm.

“The application has knowledge links where users can search for any information regarding rice farming, a farm journal where users can record their activities and monitor farm inputs, a scheduler to improve farm tasking and sort activities and a diagnostic tool to aid users in managing their farm.

All of these can be considered the core function of the app,” Philrice researcher Nehemiah L. Caballong said.

Developers are also working on the app’s ability to monitor and control advanced farming instruments and collect farm data for users.

Prototypes were installed at the FutureRice farm at PhilRice in partnership with the Information Systems Division and Climate Change Center.

It includes a water level sensing device which collects real time data and monitors water deficiency in the rice field, a field weather monitoring station to gather weather forecast to warn users with heavy downpours of rain, and an agronomic data sensing device that detects paddy temperature.

The developers also included drone technology which can be maximized for data collection, tracking growth patterns, and pests and nutrient management through color detection.

A CCTV camera is also installed for monitoring and security purposes.

“Our goal here is to make the app access these instruments and collect data wherever the user is as long as he is connected to the internet,” Caballong noted.

Marian Rikka O. Añora, field manager of FutureRice farm, said the app is also helpful for rice extension workers because the rice knowledge bank can also be accessed.

“We hope that as soon as the app is launched, it will be adopted by progressive rice farmers to help them manage their farm,” Caballong said.

“It can be a model for IT experts or companies to replicate. We want people to know that there are business opportunities when IT and agriculture merge as one,” he added.

The AgriDoc App is funded under the project Improving Technology Promotion and Delivery through Capability Enhancement of Next-Gen Rice Extension Professionals and Other Intermediaries (IPaD) and Future Rice Program.