SmartFarming. Results User Experience Test Cotton Application Pilot October

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1 SmartFarming Results User Experience Test Cotton Application Pilot October

2 Overview Test Objectives* 1 Introduce the SmartFarming cotton app to 100 farmers in central Maharashtra. 2 3 Quantitative evaluation: how much is the app used? We hope for an active user engagement, quantitative data will show if users are using the app, how often, which functions are more popular. Qualitative evaluation: do the farmers perceive the app as a useful tool? With in-depth interviews we hope to learn more about farmers personal experiences with the SmartFarming app in order to design a better product supporting there farming practices. 4 List and prioritize improvements. With pro-active workshops in the field we hope to identify bottlenecks in design and usability of SmartFarming app. And to test the required support for famers to be able to understand the app. * See Plan of action user experience test SmartFarming cotton app, July 2016 Test Duration July - October 2016 Test Setting Methodology In depth interviews and user experience workshops Participants Cotton farmers in central Mahrahstra and Arvind ltd. Extension staff Test Results Without marketing efforts the app has skyrocketed from 50 to 1146 users, of which 657 were in Maharashtra. This indicates a clear need and good mouthto-mouth promotion for the app. Quantitative evaluation: how much is the app used? The app was used 2075 times in Maharashtra during the test period the average session duration was 06:51 minutes. Qualitative evaluation: 35 in-depth interviews showed that farmers are positive about the app. A majority of farmers describes to have received information which helped to improve crop management. 4 List and prioritize improvements. Workshops in the field showed that farmers can work without help with the application. Bottle necks were identified, Almost 100 improvements for a version 2 of the application were listed. 2

3 Table of content 1. Introduction 2. Workshop outcomes 3. Interview outcomes 4. Quantitative outcomes FARMERS USING THE SMARTFARMING APP IN A WORKSHOP Good agriculture starts with information The furious growth of Smartphones in India, in rural regions in particular, grants an opportunity to deliver critical, agricultural knowledge to rural poor smallholder farmers. SmartFarming has launched a cotton smartphone application in June (Hereafter: app ). The cotton app is tailormade for cotton cultivation in central Maharashtra. The yields of these farmers are only a third of those in the developed world. One of the reasons for this is a lack of access to information. The right information, absorbed and applied correctly, can increase productivity in many of these households. The SmartFarming app is the leapfrog technology that allows to complement existing extension efforts. User experience test pilot version cotton app SmartFarming is an initiative of three Dutchmen with a passion for agriculture. It started in Between March and October 2015 feedback from 150 cotton farmers was gathered to test hypotheses, to ensure that farmers needs would be integrated into the service. To shift from concept to realization, SmartFarming had to prioritize features of the app. additional validation sessions with farmers about new features have been organized during the test. The launch of the app in June 2016 was only the beginning of the journey to use smartphone technology for cotton farmers, not the goal in itself. This report provides an overview how the SmartFarming app has been performing in the 4 months after the launch. The user experience testing was done from July till October Mr. Jelle van den Akker of the SmartFarming team interviewed farmers to collect qualitative feedback on the service. He also collected quantitative analytical data from the service usage and performance. These data will be used to improve the app. By researching, testing and interacting with farmers, SmartFarming wants to launch a version 2 cotton app in 2017, and market this to stakeholders in the cotton value chain worldwide in the years to come. The user experience test was conducted in collaboration with Arvind Ltd, an innovative Indian textile-conglomerate and a major consumer of cotton. Cotton farmers in the test Testing took place in Akola district located in the Vidarbha region. This is the eastern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Agriculture is the main occupation of the app users. Cotton, soybean and sorghum are the essential crops grown in the district, with cotton having the largest area share. In general, at least two crops are grown in a year, one in the kharif (monsoon) and another in the rabi (winter) seasons. A large part of the food crops are consumed by the family. Cotton provides them cash income. Literacy level of the farmers in Akola district is high. Only 6% is illiterate (Arvind data). In general, the farm labor is performed by the whole family, including children. In peaks of season external labor is hired. As most of the farmers are poor, the investments for labor, fertilizers and seeds are considerable. Majority of the farming in Akola district is rain-fed thus depends on the monsoon. A meagre 9% area is under irrigation. The farming-system is characterized by small and scattered farm plots and use of primitive tools. Most of the work is done manually. In general, farmers own 3-10 acres of land. Traditional methods of farming are followed. Intensive farming practices have led to rising input costs and declining yields in the last decade. In Maharashtra, the rate of farmers committing suicide is high. India is one of the fastest-growing smartphone markets in the world, as also can be noted in the Akola district. In Akola, about 40% of the farmers already owns a smartphone. This will rapidly increase in the coming years. 3

4 Farmers first impression is positive with enthusiastic reactions Farmers are able to work with the app without help Farmers suggest to include an introduction to explain the benefits and use of the app Workshop outcomes In workshops we identified several points for improvements in design and usability of the SmartFarming app. Next to this, we tested if farmers can work independently with the app or they need to be trained. Workshop methodology The workshops was held in a cotton field, to enable farmers to test all the functions of the app. During the workshop 4 assignments were given, to test if the app was indeed simple to use. After the workshop a group interview was held to discuss the farmers user experience. In total, 45 Farmers participated in 5 workshops of similar size. Ease of use and bottle necks Farmers react enthusiastic and can work with the app without help or training. It was observed that the older generation of farmers feels less comfortable with the use of smartphones. However, with some help of their younger colleagues they were up to speed in no-time. The research question of this field test: Is the app understandable and easy to use? can be answered with confidence with a big yes by all the 5 groups in the workshops. Farmers summarize: The app is easy and understandable because of local language, practical advice and clear symbols. The four assignments were intended to monitor if farmers were able to use the app easily. Assignment 1: Find information about sowing practices. This assignment turned out to be a piece of cake. Farmers could identify the right practices within 2 minutes without help. Assignment 2: Find a biological measure for your crop. This assignment was executed in a real live scenario. With each group different pests were present in the field. Farmers were able to use the photo identification function of the app and without encouragement spread out in the field in groups of +/- 2 to examine the plants. In 3 out of 5 cases a pest problem was identified. In one case there were no insects present, but farmers did use all pictures and looked on different spots on the plants. In another case different groups of farmers identified a different pest, after a close examination on different locations in the field. Farmers concluded with the help of the app that the 3 different pests were present in the crop. However only one pest had crossed the economic threshold level. Which meant that farmers concluded they needed to treat the crop only for 1 out of the 3 pest at this moment. Assignment 3: You have found and caught 7 Helicoverpa moths over the night in your pheromone trap. You would like to use a chemical measure. As in none of the fields pheromone traps where present this was a fictional assignment which without help of extension staff was too difficult to complete. In version 2 a more elaborate explanation of how the traps work and more realistic pictures of insects in the traps need to be included. Observing the farmers while using the app showed that majority of the workshop participants tried to zoom/enlarge the pictures. In the current app this is not possible and should be improved in the next version. Furthermore, the workshops showed that farmers are not comfortable with the words functioning as hyperlinks and the grey information buttons. In the improved version click here remarks should be added to overcome this. Another point of improvement is the pest control menu. Not all farmers could find (by swiping the mobile screen) the IPM and conventional pest control measures. Required support During the workshops different approaches regarding support and explanation about the app were tested. From this we can conclude that farmers are able to use the app without support. For future distribution of the app it is key that a short introduction is given to farmers emphasizing on the benefits and possibilities of the application. Screenshot of the app 4

5 Interview outcomes Introduction In 35 interviews we tried to discover if farmers perceive the app as a useful tool. Via in-depth interviews we documented farmers personal experiences with the app in order to design an improved version 2 of the app to support their farming practices. Interview methodology The farmers selected for the interviews were located in similar conditions and are representative for the area (irrigation, soil type, age, education).we interviewed 10 farmers that use pesticides and 20 that work organic. The average age of the interviewed farmers was 31. The interview was a 30 minute in depth interview. We focused on interviewing lead farmers. They have a reputation of early adaptors: the ones that implemented innovations or new insights as one of the first in their region, and are often president or vice president of a farmer selfhelp group/learning group. An effort was made to conduct the interviews in an open manner giving respondents the possibility to tell their own story and give information they themselves consider important. We feel farmers gave honest feedback, because we have seen and talked with them before the interviews. Meetings were in an informal setting. (Chai tea is important!) During the interviews we tried to trigger a conversation, why? e.g., Why is that important? or Why is that not important? Majority of the interviewees owns a motor cycle and 1-2 cows or bullocks. These are for agriculture such as pulling carts. In general farmers don t use tractors. We observed a large waste full use of inputs because of excessive spraying and wrong ways of application causing harm to the environment and finances of the farmers. Advice and financial facilities are generally not available to the farmers this result into low productivity. The app empowers farmers Farmers are happy with the SmartFarming app. Some farmers even state it is a life changer for them. Farmers think the app is useful and easy to use. Farmers state that because of the app they can better identify and act against pest. Traditional agricultural knowledge is passed on from village elders to younger generations. But communities are changing fast and so are the social structures. Nowadays, a main source of information is the local pesticide shop. Farmers are glad to be empowered to act how they think is bests. One farmer illustrated this by the metaphor of the thali. A thali is a traditional Indian meal. The idea behind a thali is to offer 6 different flavors on one single plate. Therefore the thali is made up of a selection of various dishes. To stop your body from feeling hungry you need to eat rice and roti (wheat flower pancake). The chutney, yogurt and curry are extra and not needed to stop your hunger. The shop keepers do the same when we come to them with a problem. They give us all the unnecessary extra s which is costly. With the SmartFarming app we know what is the essential cure we need to stop the problem , Amal Jeuswad Maisang. App useful source of information Of 35 interviewees, 86% said to have gained knowledge about pests and corresponding preventive measures. 78% of the farmers stated that because of the app they tried a new practice. These are mainly: the use of pheromone/sticky traps and botanical pesticides. Access to internet and the app Majority of farmers interviewed have shared the app with others in their community. Although smartphone usage is growing in rural India, not all farmers have a smartphone, we estimate 40% in the test region in But the access to the app goes beyond this percentage. In most Maharashtra villages is a village square or temple where people come together. At these social spots knowledge is shared. I learned about organic repellents and used HNVP and Neem because of the app, now I am actively promoting these methods in my village 30/08/2016 Vijay Akatwade, Village head of Akatwada. Information need to be broadened, not deepened Version 1 of the app (pilot version) has limited information. For example, no chemical advices and no diseases. Because of the intense test period in 2016, farmers are involved in shaping how and what information should be presented in version 2. Most important information requested is: overall chemical advices, nutrient management, fertilizer advices, prevention of boll/ flower dropping and more pictures of symptoms and diseases. Farmers are very positive about the detail of the information that is already in the app. The information is easy to understand and in my own language, the pictures make it very clear. Many farmers requested to add information about soybean cultivation in the app. An important learning point from the interviews is that farmers are missing an explanation about advantages and disadvantages per advice. FAST FACTS 78% Has used an new practice because of the app 86% Has learned something new because of the app 88% Shared the app with others INTERVIEW TESTIMONIALS My suray cotton was under attack of boll worm. In the SmartFarming app I learned the right doses and application of neem, before I applied this based on feeling. Pramod Pansab Palsare, farmer in Ramgaon, 07/10/2016 If the app showed an overview of effects and advantages for chemicals vs organic this would be beneficial. 18/08/2016 Morishwer Ghogari 5

6 Organic advices in app for nonorganic farmers A number of conventional farmers who normally only use chemical measures have shared positive stories with us about the use of organic control measures such as: pheromone traps, neem oil, and botanical pesticides (often based on cow urine). These farmers where not familiar with the organic practices and where motivated to try biological based practices. Because of using neem oil a large number of whitefly s starved. Instead of 2 chemical sprays now I only applied one against white fly Ganesh Ghuge, Rajankhed However, multiple farmers expressed that they do not trust organic advices and don t dare to take the risk: Who will guarantee that the organic advice in this app works? When using chemical I am sure it works. And: I am not eating cotton so chemicals don t cause harm. It is good to realize that seeing is believing. We plan to include in version 2 a farmer testimonials and ratings function alongside with the advices, to guarantee that farmers can choose between advices tested by farmers and also to motivate skeptical farmers to use more sustainable practices before resorting to harmful chemicals. At the other hand, several farmers that prefer chemical solutions indicated that the app helps them to identify the ETL (economic threshold level) for applying chemical treatment. Now they use the identification function in the SmartFarming app to identify if a chemical control measure is really needed. New features suggested by the farmers As expected most farmers requested market and weather info. Less expected outcome was that many farmers requested inspiration like modern technology innovations to learn how farmers in other countries produce. Especially Israel is mentioned multiple times. Farmers are interested in purchasing inputs via the app if for a reasonable price. Extension officers Extension officers used the app as well. They monitored a positive change among groups of farmers where members are using the SmartFarming app. Extension officers use the application to remember details and show pictures to farmers. It helps our job because we use the info and pictures in the app to explain things to farmers. It helps to have details at hand Harsheu Gawade, extension officer Arvind. INTERVIEW TESTIMONIALS The app has helped me to identify pest. The general information about a pest is helpful to learn about the problem Shailesh P. Mahalle, Sheluk village Because of the app I started using pheromone and yellow sticky traps (picture), furthermore I prepared and used jeevamruth Sanjay Rani, Sanglut village Farmers are getting smarter because of the app, they now know the name of a specific pest. The farmers) now identify themselves what is the problem. Before there would be confusion. Often farmers sprayed unnecessary. The app helps to limit this. 14/10/ 2016 Sunil Rajput, extension officer Arvind. 6

7 Quantitative outcomes Users Sessions Screen Views Avg. Session Duration Total :05:31 India :06:15 Maharashtra :06:51 Timeframe: 01/06/ /10/2016 Number of users In July 2016, the app was introduced to 50 farmers that participated in the workshops. Besides this no marketing, advertising or promotional activities were undertaken. From July to October 2016, the usage of the SmartFarming app skyrocketed from 50 to 1146, of which 657 were in Maharashtra. Only farmers who connect to the internet are counted in this number. Also farmers without internet connection are using the app. Farmers share the app using offline via Bluetooth programs such as ShareIt and Xender. Therefore the number of users is expected to be even higher. We conclude that the high number of users is perceived useful by farmers and worth sharing within the farmer community. User engagement The image above depicts the number of screens viewed per week during the testing period. Screen views tell us how much screens are opened within one week. The more screens viewed, the higher the user engagement. The peak in the beginning of June can be explained as a result of testing by the SmartFarming team itself. The peak of screen views in September can be explained by the growth stages of the cotton crop. Since most of the farmers have sown around 25 June, the crop will be in the critical vegetative stage around September. In this growth stage the most problems are likely to occur and hence the search for advice in the app. The average time of looking at a screen is 00:34 seconds. We think this time slot indicates that farmers are attentively reading the advices. The average length of a usage session in Maharashtra is 06;51 minutes. We don t have reliable reference data, but to give an idea: average media and entertainment app sessions (Facebook, Twitter etc.) are 5:59 minutes whereas e-commerce (Amazon, Flipkart) app sessions are usually 2:85 minutes. Content segmentation Content segmentation shows the level of interaction with each content component by measuring the number of times users interact with it. The assumption is that content which is accessed the most is generally more engaging. When counting the number of views per page the action advice function is the most viewed screen of the app. In total screens were viewed during the testing period. When looking at specific pest information we can conclude that during the testing period aphids, helicoverpa and jassids where of major importance to farmers using the application. Spodoptera 12% Aphids 25% White Fly 16% Jassids 23% Helicoverpa 24% 7

8 . The feedback of the farmers in 2016 encourage us to develop an improved version 2. We will expand to new organizations to deepen our impact and to make sure more and more farmers can access critical agricultural information. This will improve their lives, their communities and their environment. Get in touch with us In collaboration with 8