The fast pace of new technology was very evident at the InfoAg Conference. Everywhere you looked you could see someone with a smartphone and there were lots of tablets being used. Speaking of tablets, how about iPads doing some precision ag duties? How about something called Precision Earth?

Pictured are Chris Tucker (left), Precision Earth and Aaron Hutchinson, Cogent3D, Inc. holding an iPad showing Precision Earth in action. I visited with Chris to learn more about how this application got started. Chris has been a diehard Microsoft guy who got his first iPhone last year. He’s been in the precision ag industry for a long time. The iPhone “opened his eyes” that it could be used as a data collection device. He sees lots of farmers carrying them around. So he got started working with Aaron’s company to develop what is now Precision Earth. He sees it evolving beyond just soil sampling to a full fledged crop scouting device. The app uses shapefiles which can be managed by iTunes or a local computer app they can provide. The feedback that Chris received at the InfoAg Conference was far more positive than he even hoped for. That’s a good sign. There are plans to utilize other mobile platforms in the future.

Precision Earth should be available in the iTunes Store soon. It will also work on an iPhone!

Learn more about it in our interview: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/infoag/infoag-11-precision-earth.mp3″ text=”Interview with Chris Tucker”] Precision.AgWired.com coverage of the InfoAg 2011 Conference is sponsored by: