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Tractor House
Buying or selling a tractor? This app lets users browse and sort through thousands of listings. Drill down to find the exact make and model you’re looking for. The app also can sort results by location and display the for-sale equipment nearest you.
At 4.2 stars out of possible 5, its user review track record speaks for itself.
The Irish Farmers Journal
You hardly expected us to leave this out?
The go-to place for all up-to-date farming news and views, where you learn of the most important developments in Irish and world farming, across all sectors as they happen.
It contains a broad spectrum of multimedia content, with photos, podcasts, videos as well as articles included.
Those already registered online with the Irish Farmers Journal can use the same name and password for the app.
Weed ID
Are you able to distinguish between charlock and chickweed? Dock leaves and dandelions? Well Weed ID can help.
Based on the encyclopaedia of arable weeds and developed in association with ADAS (Agricultural Development and Advisory Service) in the UK, this app aims to provide an easy-to-use reference guide to the major broad-leaved weeds and grass weeds, with over 140 weeds covered.
Calving calculator
Easily calculate the gestation cycle of beef cattle. This app calculates the return date, the calving date and the weaning date based upon the observed breeding date. Simple to use and read, a must have as it takes the guesswork out of breeding.
BCS Cowdition
Designed by Bayer HealthCare, this app is designed to help simplify and standardise the scoring of dairy cows’ body condition, which is a vital part of good herd management.
This free-to-download app offers an enhancement of Bayer’s five-step BCS system that helps both farmers and vets with detailed images and descriptions of cows in various condition varying from undernourished to overweight.
Fertiliser P and K calculator
Provides farmers with guidelines for crop offtake and general agronomic advice for potassium and phosphorus (P and K) application to grassland and arable crops in Ireland.
Fence Detective
A fence tester is never at hand when you want one. However, there is now an app that can be used to test the power of an electric fence safely.
It’s called Fence Detective, and it’s an innovative app from New Zealand that tells you if an electric fence is on or off just by holding your phone near it, inserting an antenna and hey presto.
Fence Detective makes crossing electric fences or carrying out activities around electric fences easier and safer. It’s available to download for free, although the antenna, which improves the accuracy and speed of the test, cost NZ$12 (roughly €7).
Grass2 milk
Helps dairy farmers make informed decisions about the nutritional requirements of their stock.
This app allows you to instantly see whether you are feeding your dairy herd enough to reach daily milk and body condition score targets, and helps you plan your feed allocation for the day.
Developed by OneFarm, and based on the recognised work of Dr Ian Brookes, Massey University, New Zealand, this app can be used every day as an assurance that stock energy (ME) requirements are being met given their current lactation, pregnancy and the time of season.
You enter information about your herd, such as the number of cows, breed, age, and condition score. The app predicts the average cow’s daily ME requirements. You then enter the daily feed – that is what pasture, crops or supplements that you are feeding the herd.
The app calculates the total ME intake and compares it with the ME requirements. You can customise each parameter, giving you complete control and ensuring that the results are specific to your herd and your farm.
Once the parameters are entered, it can be used to find out how much to feed on a daily basis. It is a great time saver and assists in identifying what the actual daily energy requirement of your herd is (energy is the most limiting component of grass-fed cows).
It also allows “what if” questions to be asked, so can help you identify what your options are if you have insufficient pasture. You can also use it to assist with the nutritional requirements of dry cows.
Once the app is downloaded, you have complete freedom; no signal, no problem, the app will still work. It is simple to use, with large buttons and an easy to read screen.
Agri tech: the up sides of vertical farming
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