Several companies recently have enhanced or upgraded their crop-scouting tools. Here's a quick look at some of the latest developments for the crop scout's toolbox.

Farm Works Software, Hamilton, IN, introduces the TitanRH, a rugged handheld computer with a built-in GPS receiver. It uses the Windows CE operating system to map field boundaries, record soil samples, direct variable-rate application, perform guidance and produce field records. Farm Works “Mate” software is sold separately.

The TitanRH features a 400-MHz processor, built-in 1-Hz GPS, internal SD and CF card slots for additional storage, ram mount and additional cables for powering the device in the field or attaching a high-end GPS receiver. The handheld computer also is Bluetooth capable.

Built for outdoor conditions, the TitanRH features a 3.5-in., daylight-readable, impact-resistant screen. It also meets IP67 and MIL810 standards for impact, moisture and dust resistance.

For more information, call 800/225-2848 or visit www.farmworks.com.

ScanControl Inc., Pleasanton, CA, introduces the latest version of its CropTrak and other co-branded mobile software, which enables the user to capture and store digital images in conjunction with a GPS coordinate reference.

Crop scouts can use the mobile software on their PDA or smartphone device (iPAQ hw6515, for example) to take digital images in the field and store them on the device or an SD memory expansion card.

The CropTrak process transfers the image and coordinates data to a hosted database where integrated GIS technology has been set up. Once data are transmitted, an individual with access to the GIS interface can open his or her particular map and view the data and images.

When the data are uploaded from the field, they are automatically displayed on the map. The user can then click on the data points and image files from exactly where the information was recorded in the field.

For more information, call 925/249-9463. To view a demonstration of the field data collection system, visit www.scancontrol.com.

The Veris Mobile Sensor Platform (MSP) features the Soil pH Manager, an on-the-go automated pH sensing system that shows pH variability in detail. The MSP produces between 5 and 10 pH samples per acre, up to 25 times as many sample points as a 2.5-acre-grid map, reports Veris Technologies, Salina, KS.

The Veris MSP can be equipped with both the Veris EC Surveyor 3150 and the Soil pH Manager, allowing agronomists to collect soil EC data for management zones and yield goals at the same time that they are mapping soil pH.

For more information, visit www.veristech.com.

ArcGIS Mobile SDK (software development kit), developed by ESRI, Redlands, CA, is a .NET suite of components for developing focused mobile GIS applications. This technology allows a crop-scouting application to run on a smartphone, PocketPC and Tablet PC.

The ArcGIS Mobile SDK allows the user to operate in a connected or disconnected environment. Updates can be made on the server in near real time.

ESRI also recently released ArcGIS 9.2, which enables data, maps and models from a desktop to be transferred to a GIS server and then used through the Internet, desktop or a mobile device.

The new release works with both the Microsoft .NET framework and Java platforms. Development platform features include improved Java API, tighter .NET integration, and unified Application Developer Framework (ADF) with ArcIMS and ArcGIS Server. For more information on new features and answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.esri.com/software/arcgis/about/whats-new.html.

This spring, SST Summit customers will be able to transfer field data to any other SST Summit user through the Internet. An ag retailer can record scouting information on a grower's field and instantly synchronize it with the grower's Summit.

With the grower's permission, both the grower and the ag retailer will have access to all historical data recorded on the grower's farm. This collaborative record-keeping system can strengthen the relationship between the retailer and the grower and improve future decision-making, reports SST Software, Stillwater, OK.

SST Software also has enhanced its SST Summit Professional program. When a new field is added in SST Summit Professional, a soil type map and aerial image of the field are automatically downloaded, clipped to the new field boundary and displayed as a background image for the field. This eliminates the user's need for downloading and managing multiple files, the company reports.

For more information, visit www.sstsoftware.com.

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