LandPKS is a free modular mobile phone app connected to cloud-based storage, global databases, and models. It is comprised of three different modules: LandInfo, LandCover and LandManagement, with more modules planned for the future (SoilHealth and Biomass/Utilization).
LandInfo is designed for rapid soil (texture and color) characterization, soil identification, and for accessing soil and ecological site information. This module will: identify a soil based on location and user inputs; predict soil infiltration and plant-available water-holding capacity (AWC) at variable soil organic matter (SOM); determine land capability class (LCC) for sustainable land use planning and management; and determine soil color using the phone's camera and a standardized reference card.
The LandCover module is for rapid vegetation monitoring (vegetation composition, plant height, canopy and basal gaps). It is compatible with methods used by the USDA NRCS and the Bureau of Land Management, and can be used for rangeland monitoring, natural resource conservation and crop residue monitoring.
The LandManagement Module is for on-farm record-keeping about inputs, management and yields (e.g., crops, fertilizer, lime, irrigation, rainfall, erosion control, tillage etc) and can be used for providing data summaries.