An app that speeds indentification of weeds and diseases is now available in for the U.S. market. Using instant photo recognition, artificial intelligence (A.I.) and data sharing technology, the xarvio™ SCOUTING app enables growers and agronomists to instantly and accurately identify weed and disease threats in their fields.
“With the xarvio™ SCOUTING app, anyone with a smartphone can identify weed and disease threats on a variety of crops, such as corn and soybean,” said David Gray, Commercial & Business Development Manager for xarvio™. “Regional diseases that may affect fields are difficult to know. The app’s unique crowd-sourcing means that more acres can be scouted and potential threats, such as Northern Corn Leaf Blight and Gray Leaf spot, can be identified before reaching your area.”
Crop scouting is time-consuming and requires detailed knowledge. Unlike other apps in the agriculture marketplace that require users to scroll through a catalog of images, the xarvio™ SCOUTING app uses instant photo recognition to quickly and accurately identify weed and disease threats from an ever-growing database of images from local and global growers. The app is powered by advanced A.I. algorithms that that continually improve precision and functionality through machine learning and data sharing.
The xarvio™ SCOUTING app was launched in Europe in November 2017 and is now operational in 90 countries with more than 58,000 users. The app has amassed a database of 150,000 weed and disease images and is on track to add an additional 100,000 U.S. specific images this year. Farmers and leading research partners across the globe contribute to this ever-growing image database — including more than 10 leading research universities across the U.S. including: University of NE, Virginia Tech, Kansas State University, Texas A&M, University of TN, Illinois University, Oklahoma State, North Dakota State, Southern Illinois University and Washington State.
“This ag tech of the future will improve the speed and accuracy of threat identification, saving growers time, effort and money,” said Gray. “The scouting app helps growers and agronomists to be more efficient in maintaining crop health and reallocate the time traditionally spend on scouting to other farm priorities.”
