Horticulture and field crop software allows farmers and horticulturalists to monitor crop plantings, pesticide and herbicide applications and crop yields to determine production costs. Advanced horticulture and field crop software programs utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) concepts, which allows one to overlay information such as soil types and field boundaries on aerial photography, perform analysis such as profit/loss margins and print maps and reports based on information entered into the system.

Resources to obtain horticulture and field crop software education and training include:

1. Training provided by manufacturers or distributors of crop data management systems

2. Training provided by manufacturers or distributors of horticultural software

3. Training provided by manufacturers or distributors of agriculture and field crop software

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Receive crop and plant management software education and training to help plan your crops

Crop software programs have applications for farmers, crop insurance agents and co-ops. For farmers, software programs offer features that allow them to enter crop plans, equipment maintenance, fertilizer and manure applications and generate reports to determine issues such as production costs. Geographic Information System (GIS), along with aerial photography, also allows users to view soil types, track soil samples and map yield data and profit/loss margins.

I recommend: Farm Trac allows users to monitor crop production and offers mobile devices such as Farm Trac Mate and Farm Site Mate that allows data entry in the field and provides hands on instruction either on-site or at their facility. AgConnections offer training videos that provide instruction on planning and budgeting, mapping applications, managing product costs and generating reports.

Receive horticultural software education and training to identify and classify plants

Horticulture software allows users to create custom databases that they can use to enter descriptions, such as colors of the plant, life cycle information such as growing seasons, height, climate conditions plants grow best in, watering requirements, soil acidity requirements, hardiness, and best uses for the plant.

I recommend: Compleat Botanica is a horticulture management software that provides on line training instructing users to establish their own classification systems based on descriptions and classification codes to create a database, documents and seasonal calendar ranges from information entered into the horticulture program and print reports based on that information. PRO Landscape provides a variety of instruction methods, such as a CD tutorial, user’s manual, on-site training classroom and distance training designed to teach individuals how to perform functions such as creating landscaping plans and printing reports listing materials required to complete a job, which the individual can in turn provide to the customer as a price quote.

Receive agriculture and field crop software education and training to manage your farm

Agriculture and field crop software that uses GIS allows individuals to map boundaries, produce yield maps based on data received from yield monitors, maintain and compare records of crop yields for various seed companies and hybrids and generate reports from data collected on mobile devices and synchronized into a desktop computer.

I recommend: SST Summit offers online and classroom instruction while Case IH Advanced Farming Systems software offers online tutorials that instruct individuals on basic GIS applications, such as creating boundaries, exporting data and generating reports.

Today's agricultural professional can find horticultural software to meet just about any need. Whether seeking efficiency and increased profit in field crop and greenhouse production, or services such as turfgrass management or landscaping, use technology to maintain a competitive edge in the "green" business market.

Global positioning crop mapping can help field crop producers optimize planting, fertilizing and pest control application. On the retail end, greenhouse nursery software can track inventory with barcode scanning tools that track plants from the greenhouse to the nursery. If you provide service directly to the consumer via landscaping or turfgrass management, schedule service calls, price your services and manage your business with horticulture management software made just for you. Shop crop software and business management tools while keeping in mind your specific application needs, including:

1. GPS and mobile crop mapping technologies

2. Retail horticulture software with inventory and accounting modules

3. Support service scheduling and computer-aided design

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Integrate technology and research-based best practices with field crop data management systems

Use multi-level field crop software to make planting decisions based on the latest global research and information. Stay in constant contact with your crop consultant, fertilizer dealer and management software support team when in the field using mobile field crop software programs on your desktop and PDA or Smartphone.

I recommend: Work with your crop consultant using the SST Summit and Stratus SSToolbox, a fully integrated horticulture and field crop software system that provides dealer, consultant and producer tools for total farm management. Use the latest GPS and mobile solutions with iPAQ Mobile Office Solutions suite FarmWorks.

Purchase greenhouse, nursery software for plant management and retail needs

Buy horticulture management software applicable to your greenhouse or retail nursery operation. Find plant nursery software that encompasses growing and inventory, focus specifically on the retail end, or spend a little more and get an all-in-one nursery management software package.

I recommend: Request a demo of SLICEplus, wholesale nursery software that offers features for greenhouse management and retail operations. Contact the makers of CompuPlants for information on the program's complete vertical nursery management package, which tracks plant inventory from the greenhouse to the client and also offers business accounting and payroll modules.

Use horticultural software for the professional landscape design or turfgrass management business

Purchase plant management software with design capabilities to best manage your landscape design or turfgrass management business. Consumer versions offer simplistic 3D computer-aided design (CAD), so purchase professional software with accounting and plant management functions better suited to the service you offer.

I recommend: Contact or register with horticulture software suppliers for demos of ArborSoftWorx and ServiceCEO, platforms specific to the landscape design and turfgrass management service industries.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Producers who abide by the tenets of organic horticulture don't need many of the chemical fertilizer functions of high-end crop data management software, but the GPS mapping is still particularly helpful. Negotiate with the software company to cut out modules that won't apply to chemical-free production.