Consultancy Services in Tropical Agriculture Development

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New app for field data collection integrated with OMP

29 Jul 2017

All plantations need to collect agronomic data in the field:

  • Leaf samples and vegetative measurements.
  • Nutrient deficiency scores.
  • Pest and disease information (i.e., early warning system).
  • Field audits (i.e., assessment of field standards).
  • Implementation of field activities.

Three issues must be resolved to achieve efficient and reliable data collection:

  1. Verification that the enumerator has visited the designated survey points.
  2. Data logging in a handheld device that records the Geo reference of each survey point.
  3. Post-survey data management to transform data into useful information.

Agrisoft Systems and TCCL are presently developing an app for smartphones that can be used for the reliable collection of any kind of field data:

  1. The OMP operator defines the survey type and parameters to be recorded (e.g., numeric data, text fields, pickup lists).
  2. Survey definitions are transferred to the smartphone.
  3. The enumerator collects data in the field.
  4. Data is transferred to the OMP operator and, if appropriate, summarised data is imported into OMP

If QR cards have been installed on datum points (e.g., LSU palms), the smartphone can be used to scan the QR card to obtain the datum point reference (e.g., Division, Field, Block, Row, Palm) and therefore avoid errors in data recording.

Each point is georeferenced by the smartphone and the survey points can be plotted in a map, together with the enumerators trail, so that the field survey can be verified by the OMP operator.

A key feature of the system is that all data can be compiled (e.g., individual survey point data summarised by block) and stored in matching data fields in OMP. For example, mean for individual measurements of petiole cross section calculated and stored in OMP under the respective block.

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