The authorities supervise Danish farmers closely. The Chemical Control app was developed to help the farmers keep track of their stock of pesticides, thus helping Danish farmers avoid reduced subsidies and fines for the storage and use of illegal pesticides.
“The Chemical Control app puts my mind at rest. I can check the legality of my stock of chemicals on a continuous basis and await the visits of inspection with peace of mind.”
The Challenge that Inspired the Innovation
Staying on top of the status of pesticides which they are allowed to use, is quite a challenge for the farmers. As of November 2015, there were more than 1750 phased-out products and the number is rising. The Danish authorities supervise farmers closely and reduce subsidies or issue heavy fines if illegal pesticides are found on the farm. To help the farmers avoid this, the Chemical Control app was developed.
The Innovation Process in a Few Words
In July 2012, the arable farmer Hans De Neergaard asked his advisor to invite Jens Erik Jensen, a senior specialist at L&F, SEGES, to develop an app which could scan barcodes on cans and bottles and generate a product status from the codes by extracting the information from a database. The farmer had been inspired by the Vivino app which gives the user information about a wine when scanning the wine label.
The specialist of L&F, SEGES developed the app which is linked to the Middeldatabasen.dk, a database holding records of approved pesticides in Denmark.
The Chemical Control app is an example of how one farmer’s good idea turned into a technological product that is relevant for a lot of farmers because most farmers have to address the issue of whether their pesticides are legal or not.
How Widespread Is the App?
The app was developed in 2013 and was immediately made available for sale to the farmers. Now it is available for both android and IOS phones.
As of November 2015, the app has more than 900 users. Besides farmers, the app is used by private consultants. But also authorities use the app when they pay control visits to Danish farms.
Leave A Comment