Modern Apps

Listen to a clip from an interview I did with bee enthusiast Bill Ahaus back in April of 2013.

"This woman from University of Minnesota knew a beekeeper in Minnesota. He sells his honey at Farmer's markets and he, I can't remember what you call those things but they are icons on a cell phone, ...apps... yes, apps. it gives you information about that product. He has his label set up with all these little apps on them and you can take a picture of that and it will tell you exactly where that beehive was located."

Do any of you remember the old Virginia slims slogan, you come a long way baby. That applies to apps. The USDA sent me some information saying that modern food producers have a tool for smartphones and mobile apps. According to Dr. David Hughes, assistant professor of entomology and biology at Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, co-creator of a technology named PlantVillage, they can provide access to a computerized plant diagnostic system that boasts an algorithm capable of diagnosing 26 diseases in 14 crops with 99 percent accuracy.  In essence, computers have been "taught" to diagnose plant diseases by comparing the images of healthy and diseased leaves.