Rock River Laboratory Inc. has launched InField Updates, a new crowdsourced in-app tool that helps growers dial in the harvest timeline of corn intended for silage.

Nutritionists, agronomists and growers can now review timely fresh dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and starch statistics geographically to determine the optimal chopping schedule for their acres.

“Hitting the ideal harvest window is a vital component to processing good feed for the coming year,” Rock River Laboratory director of operations Zachery Meyer said. “Any tool that Rock River Laboratory can develop to quickly provide consultants and farmers with the data they need to plan for a successful harvest is an easy investment for us.”

Development of InField Updates was sparked by the annual need for timely moisture assessment of corn intended for silage to predict chopping timing. The tool relies on the support of the industry to supply freshly chopped corn samples to Rock River Laboratory, which is requesting the help of all growers and consultants to make this tool beneficial for everyone. Samples submitted using the laboratory’s new minimally priced "Fresh Chopped Corn" package will receive DM, NDF and starch analyses to help populate the information for InField Updates.

Results data are mapped based on the electronically submitted location while maintaining the privacy of both the individual submitting the data and the exact address location. The sample submitter will also receive their own specific sample analysis results directly to their email or on the Rock River Laboratory web portal.

“We’ve all seen how crowdsourced and community-based apps can make life easier, be it for a safer, faster drive to your destination or to pick where you’re eating for dinner,” Meyer said. “Now, there is an opportunity for our agriculture industry to utilize this technology for the benefit of producers, all while upholding the privacy of those sharing their sample results.”

To provide on-the-go access, InField Updates resides within Rock River Laboratory’s FeedScan app, the smartphone and tablet application for electronic sample submission. InField Updates is free to everyone and does not require login credentials; however, downloading the free FeedScan app is required in order to access the InField Updates tool. InField Updates users can review mapped data by selecting an area on the map that narrows data points to a 10-mile radius to ensure that the analysis levels provided are relevant to the geographical area selected.

Those who wish to contribute to the effort in addition to benefiting from the information can send freshly chipped corn intended for silage samples under the Fresh Chopped Corn package, using the FeedScan app (with location services enabled) to submit at the closest location to the field where the sample(s) was collected. Physical submission of the fresh samples can be completed at one of many Rock River Laboratory drop boxes along their Convenience Routes. Users can find the closest Convenience Route drop boxes at http://bit.ly/ConvenienceRoutes.

FeedScan is available for download at the App Store (search FeedScan) and in Google Play. For InField Updates instructions and more information, visit the tool’s Resource Center at http://bit.ly/InField_Updates.

Founded in 1976, Rock River Laboratory is a family-owned laboratory network that provides production assistance to the agriculture industry through the use of advanced diagnostic systems, progressive techniques and research-supported analyses.