APPS FOR ARBORISTS
By Brandon M. Gallagher Watson
Your phone or tablet can be a useful tool for identifying and diagnosing problems in the field. Here are a few apps that can be handy when
asking the questions,"what the heck is that, and what the heck can I do about it?"
Purdue Tree Doctor
Available on: iPhone
Cost: $1.99
Produced by Purdue University, you can use
this collection of high-resolution photos to diagnose what's wrong and get some options for
management. Start with what tree species you
are standing in front of, then choose where on
the tree you are seeing the issue.From there you
can flip though a catalog of photos to find one
that matches what you are seeing. Hit "More
Info" to find a detailed description of the problem and suggested control measures.The photos
are all embedded in the app, so you can use it
even without an Internet connection.
Forest Insect Pests in North America
Available on: iPhone/iPad
Cost: Free
This is one of many new apps coming out of
The Center for Invasive Species & Ecosystem
Health from the University of Georgia. It taps
into the expansive Bugwood.org photo library
and is organized neatly by the major Orders of
insects.Although it contains detailed lifecycle and
distribution info, the management info is limited to Biological Control Agents. For free, it is
hard to complain too much about any missing
information,and the beautiful photos alone make
it a great learning and training tool. Check out
their others apps at apps.bugwood.org.
ID Weeds
Available on: iPhone/iPad,Android
Cost: Free
Although arborists may not have to know the
names of weeds too often, when you are asked,
it's good to have an answer.This free app from the
University of Missouri Extension service has a
fairly extensive list of crop,forest,right-of-way,and
backyard weeds along with a useful identification
key.It does not contain any info on the best control methods for these weeds,but a quick Google
search can often yield those answers now that you
have properly identified them. Like many apps
produced by universities, this app is more useful
the closer you are to the school, but for most of
the Midwest,this app's info is pretty accurate.
Brandon M. Gallagher Watson is director of communications at Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements, and is an ISA Certified Arborist (#MN-4086A).
www.arborage.com
Arbor Age / March 2013
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