Friday, 06 March 2015 07:48

New app makes field work a breeze

Written by 
Tao Zhou Tao Zhou

A Lincoln University IT graduate has developed an app that is making life much easier for staff carrying out fieldwork.

 Agriseeds science manager Colin Eady says Tao Zhou's creation, which helps with data capture during field trials, has proven invaluable.

"The modular system Tao developed simplifies data capture process, saves time and reduces errors," says Eady.

While working towards his graduate diploma of software and IT, Zhou took on an internship at a plant breeding and research company. He says he came up with the idea for the app after talking to Agriseeds staff and monitoring their workflow.

"Seed data from the field used to be collected using paper and pen and keyed into a spreadsheet back at the office. After having some discussions with staff, we thought we would make things easier by developing an app," he says.

"The system is based on Microsoft Excel and runs on a tablet. It works by collecting data via a friendly, front-end interface, then the data is automatically transferred to Excel in standard format with error checking and validation. This makes it handy for preventing mistakes."

Eady says the internship finished in November, but Zhou continued to work at Agriseeds for a further three months to help troubleshoot any problems with the app.

"During this time, he established efficient electronic capture and transfer of data between the Agriseeds Quality Assurance and Breeding team. He also helped improve a previous Lincoln University/Agriseeds collaboration concerning seed image analysis."

"I'd like to continue advancing my career as an engineer in the IT industry. The knowledge and techniques I've learned from the Lincoln course have given me a lot of ideas, as well as a new vision," says Zhou.

More like this

Point of View

Dr Amber Parker was guest speaker at the 2024 Southern Pinot Noir Workshop in Hanmer, sharing insights on potential impacts of climate change on viticulture, along with adaptation opportunities, particularly with regard to Pinot Noir. Amber, who is Lincoln University's Director of the Centre for Viticulture and Oenology, shares some of her learnings.

Featured

Horticulture exports hit $8.4B, surge toward $10B by 2029

A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Sticky situation

OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter