COLUMBUS — The Ohio State PLOTS app — an all-in-one tool to enhance farm management decisions — is now available for download on both Apple and Android devices.
Ohio State PLOTS was created with funding from Field to Faucet, an OSU initiative for research, education and outreach to find solutions for harmful algal blooms and other water quality issues.
With Ohio State PLOTS, users can create on-farm trials that compare hybrids, fertilizer rates, stand counts, and more, available to producers, OSU Extension educators, agronomist and consultants.
Plot layouts
One feature of Ohio State PLOTS is the user’s ability to design basic plot layouts, which can be saved and/or shared.
Included in the app is a random number generator, which removes human error when developing plot layouts. Users can also log-in through the app and begin defining an experiment that compares and analyzes various response parameters (yield, hybrids, seed depth, etc.).
Users can review their comparison means within the summary report, that contains any detailed information the user has entered regarding a specific trial, notes and photos they’ve taken throughout the growing season and all of the statistically analyzed results.
Data sharing
Data can be shared in a summary report format to individuals trusted by the user such as crop consultants, agronomists, or other producers.
If a producer chooses not to share their trial information, the data can be stored in the cloud or exported as a .CSV file to be used in programs like Excel or Access.
Privacy
As with any farm data, there is always a concern as to how the data is managed and obtained.
A safety feature of Ohio State PLOTS is the log-in access. All data entered into the app while logged-in is stored and protected in the cloud through Amazon Web Service.
Information can only make its way to agronomists, Extension educators or other producers if a user specifically shares that information.
More info
Ohio State PLOTS is free in the App Store and on Google Play. For more information on Ohio State PLOTS, visit the Ohio State Precision Ag website at http://bit.ly/2dJn29W.
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