Mobile app brings grower solutions to their fingertips

Starting with the historic Ecke OnTarget graphical platform, growers have been recording cultural notes and graphing height data since the early 1990s. As technology evolved, Dümmen Orange updated its OnTarget platform to allow for the integration of newer programming systems, as well as offering mobile compatibility. Global customers need ongoing support and can now benefit from a wide range of digital solutions that the Dümmen Orange OnTarget app provides.

The new program supplies growers with modern growth strategies, information about pests and diseases, a digital logbook for observations and measurements, and a direct line with Dümmen Orange's technical experts. Not only will growers have access to graphical tracking for their poinsettia crops, but OnTarget is a helpful cultivation tool that is readily accessible on any mobile device including smart phones or tablets.

Similar to the previous platforms, the new OnTarget app provides height tracking for poinsettia crops. Grower height measurements can be graphed against standard growth curves to keep crop height within the defined growth window. Visualizing crop growth within the growing season allow growers to make timely corrections and manage the crop based on data comparing actual height to target height.

Within the Dümmen Orange OnTarget app, users can view the catalog and variety details for all crops. By using the digital logbook, relevant cultural notes can be shared inside the platform including height measurements, chemical applications, and variety ratings. Pest and disease information are currently uploaded for a few pilot crops like poinsettias, kalanchoes, pot mums, and begonias, with future software updates scheduled to add all available crops.

"We asked ourselves how we could support our valued customers with better digital solutions," says QiuXia Chen, Junior Product Manager of Potted Crops for Dümmen Orange. "Our desire to help more growers by digitizing our expansive horticultural knowledge while making our products more relevant is a goal that we achieved with this app."

The Dümmen Orange roll-out strategy involves two main points of focus. First, onboarding growers per product group because of content and technical support. This now includes kalanchoes, pot mums, poinsettias, and begonias. Secondly, onboarding growers per feature via strategic projects that have immediate benefits like graphical tracking, QR codes in show greenhouses, and trialing test varieties.

Current features for the Dümmen Orange OnTarget app include:

• My Production - An overview of a user's production or selected varieties that are to be tracked, including sales units, status overview per grow cycle, and timeline per grow cycle.
• My Grow Cycle Timeline - This allows users to add notes and pictures, add actions and measurements, and collaborate with employees. Dümmen Orange experts can see this data to help troubleshoot issues while allowing app users to look back at previous grow cycles.
• Plant Pathology - This area documents applicable pests and diseases per culture, is easy to read, and allows users to identify pests and disease by comparing pictures along with getting recommended actions and listing preventative measures.

The Dümmen Orange OnTarget app will be available for download on both Google Play and the App Store.

Source: Dümmen Orange

Photo created by jcomp - freepik

Source: Greenhouse Grower