The "Pasture monitoring" mobile app - is a useful assistant for the work of pasture committees and forestries. Thanks to the app the employees of these structures can observe and assess the changes in the condition of the pastures in the before grazing in spring and after grazing in autumn.
The online service enables users to create their own pasture database and share it with experts. The user is asked to register in order to use it. In this case their information is in the public domain. An unregistered user can only store the information on their smartphone. The app has a user-friendly interface, three language versions (Kyrgyz, Russian and English) and provides tools for accurate monitoring and evaluation. The user needs to collect data on the vegetation cover and yield of the area being monitored, and indicate its location on a map.
The data entered are sent in real time to a server and are made available to a team of experts who, based on analysis of the information, will prepare their recommendations on improving pasture conditions. It is planned that this group will include representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Regional Development of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Design Institute of Land Management ("Kyrgyzgiprozem"). In this way the data on the state of pastures will be available to the bodies responsible for pasture policy and will influence the development of effective and efficient strategies for the improvement of this area of agriculture.
The application is currently being tested in the forestry farms of Aksy and Bazar-Korgon districts. Employees of the forestry farms of Aksy, Arkyt and Avletim in Aksy district and representatives of the local pasture committees have already been trained in June on how to use the app.
