The document reviews various mobile applications available for agriculture in India, specifically those that assist in identifying nutrient deficiencies and pest symptoms. It highlights ratings based on user interface and utility, mentioning several apps with their pros and cons, while advocating for improved user-friendly designs in agriculture-related apps. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of mobile technology in enhancing agricultural productivity and food security, proposing collaboration with pesticide companies for more comprehensive solutions.

1. Working towards the next
mobile revolution in India
Arunkumar K.R., PhD
Technical Director,
Victus Laboratories India Private Limited
www.victuslabs.com
Review of the best mobile apps
for agriculture in Android – 2015

2. Disclaimer
All content included on this presentation, such as text, graphics, logos,
button icons, images, app screenshots, trademarks are the property of
their respective owners. This review is for educational purpose only.
This review is done with an intention of highlighting the available apps
for agricultural officers, field staffs, agricultural consultants and farmers
to help them identify nutrient deficiency and pest symptoms
for correct diagnosis. We do not suggest the information provided is
perfect and the user assumes all risk for interpreting the symptoms.
Ratings are based on user interface & utility from the Indian perspective
and to help agricultural scientists, students, institutions, companies,
mobile developers for agri apps some reference points.

3. ICT attempts for Indian Agriculture
Internet /PC with net access
Mobile / SMS Service
Mobile/ Recorded messages
Mobile/ MMS Service

4. Currently available Agri apps for Indian Agriculture
The list is not exhaustive and does not include apps focussed on mandi/market
and other information like weather, etc. The focus on symptom identification & solutions.
Agri apps like Agriplaza, Kisan Mitra, Rallis Mitr, Shriram SmartKisan, Shriram FarmConnect,
Insecticides are a good beginning but we still need to improve much ahead in comparison
to the very user-friendly, intuitive and informative apps available currently for android.

5. http://www.yara.com/media/apps/checkit/
Yara CheckIT is a very intuitive and informative app.
It is the best among android apps for identifying nutrient deficiency symptoms
AKR’s Rating: 9.5/10

6. AKR’s Rating: 9.5/10
Pros: Free, fast, covers many crops, intuitive & very informative for diagnosing nutrient
deficiency symptoms
Cons: after download & installation the very first update is heavy in size
and take time in slower networks
Yara CheckIT

7. Cropalyser by Bejo is a very user-friendly, intuitive and informative app.
It has the best user interface and loads comfortably even in lower spec
Android mobiles
AKR’s Rating: 9/10

8. AKR’s Rating: 9/10
Pros: Free, Fast, intuitive & informative
Cons: only for few crops
http://www.bejo.com/ww/news/cropalyser-app.aspx
Cropalyser

9. Citrus Diseases Key
AKR’s Rating: 9/10
Pros: Free & informative diagnosing disease symptoms
Cons: heavy download, takes time to load in lower spec android devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lucidcentral.mobile.citrus_diseases

10. Agri Apps from Lucid Mobile is highly recommended but needs space

11. Plant Health from APS
AKR’s Rating: 8.5/10
Pros: informative for diagnosing pest symptoms
Cons: Paid, takes time to download & update, currently available only for Turf & Tomato
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.apsnet.apsreference

12. MyIPM
AKR’s Rating: 8/10
Pros: Free, interesting UI , informative, both conventional & organic options available
Cons: Currently available only for Strawberry & Peach
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.clemson.myIPM

13. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=en.com.adob&hl=en
AKR’s Rating: 7.5/10
Pros: Free, intuitive & informative for diagnosing nutrient deficiency symptoms
Cons: needs connection to server each time, takes time to load, only for few crops
Fertilizer 2.0

14. Farming´s Future
AKR’s Rating: 7.5/10
Pros: Free, provides interesting information on trends
Cons: takes time to download magazines, needs space and a bigger screen,
more suited for tablets
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bayer.bcs.farmingsfuture

15. AKR’s Rating: 7/10
Pros: Free, fast, intuitive & informative diagnosing nutrient deficiency symptoms
Cons: not complete, only fewer symptom pictures
Deficiencies AG PHD
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lps.agrif&hl=en

16. AKR’s Rating: 7/10
Pros: Free, interesting UI & has potential
Cons: focussed more towards cereal crops of UK. BASF please bring an Indian version
with local language support
BASF Disease ID
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cereal&hl=en

17. BASF México-Cultivo del Tomate
AKR’s Rating: 7/10
Pros: Free, interesting UI & has potential
Cons: Not in English. BASF please bring an Indian version with local language support
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pretech.basftomate&hl=en

18. BASF please develop & launch Indian version of your apps with local language
support and include your nutrients product range with deficiency symptoms

19. IRAC Mode of Action
Description
The IRAC Insecticide Mode of Action (MoA) Classification for your
mobile device is an easy to use searchable database which allows you
to identify insecticide active ingredients and their respective MoA
groups without the need for a data connection. It is essential for
Insecticide resistance management (IRM) to minimise the selection of
resistance to any one type of insecticide and this is best carried out by
the use of alternations, sequences or rotations of compounds from
different MoA groups. The IRAC MoA application allows you search
which active ingredients below to which groups and should help you in
the selection of treatments for effective IRM.
AKR’s Rating: 7/10
Pros: Free, informative
Cons: Small fonts. Difficult to read. BioXing’s UI for Fungicides App for Windows is much better.

20. http://www.windowsphone.com/en-in/store/app/fungicides-elements/957f4b6d-5f51-4551-ade6-73f919488845
Fungicides & Elements
Available only on Windows Phone. BioXing & Dow AgroSciences Please
develop one for Android
HONORABLE MENTION
AKR’s Rating: 8/10
Pros: Interesting UI & very informative
Cons: Paid, Not available for android

21. SOIL
PEST
CONTROL
PLANT
NUTRITION
FOOD
SAFETY
Improving agricultural productivity
through nutrition management
and effective pest control
needs educating the farmer
Mobile Apps would be the
easiest way to achieve this
It will be a valuable tool for our agricultural crop consultants, field officers
and all stakeholders involved in enhancing agricultural productivity
and food security
A 5 inch mobile with 2 GB RAM and 4G connectivity affordable to the
Indian masses (Rs 5000/-) might be a reality in 2016
Victus Labs is developing mobile app for Indian Agriculture focusing on
nutrient deficiency symptoms. We invite pesticide companies
to partner with us to provide full scale solutions to farmers

22. “Spectacular achievement is always
preceded by unspectacular planning”
- Robert H. Schuller