Name of App: ID Weeds

Developer: University of Missouri Extension

Availability: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch; Android

Cost: Free

Intended Audience: Anyone in Missouri who needs to identify a weed

Purpose of App: To assist individuals with identifying a plant they believe may be a weed

Description: Upon starting ID Weeds, the user has four options. The first is to "Identify a weed." The second through fourth options are "Search for a weed," "View weed list," and "About ID Weeds." These last three are self explanatory as to their function. Perhaps the best feature in my mind, though, is the "Identify a weed" option. It will start by asking if you have a grass or grass-like plant or a broadleaf weed. After that you can select from any of the characteristics you can observe from the weed you want to identify. Once you input all the characteristics you can, hit the ID "Identify" button. The app will present you with a list of weeds fitting the characteristics you submitted. By tapping on one of the possible weeds, you can view photographs and on some, read a more detailed description of the weed.

Fit for Nebraska: This app is designed for use in Missouri. Some weeds quite common to Nebraska are missing (e.g., leafy spurge). With this in mind, the greatest potential for use would be in southeast Nebraska where conditions would be similar to Missouri. It then would follow that the utility of this app would decline as you move north and west. However, this app is still a good reference and identification tool.

App Reviewer: Wayne Ohnesorg, UNL Extension Educator in Madison, Wayne, Pierce, and Stanton Counties

More App Reviews

See more articles on apps as they're published to CropWatch throughout the year.