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 S
erviceCEO, 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.
The official source of Horticulture and Field Crop Software is
the Horticulture and Field Crop Software page at Business.com
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