Supporting Skeleton Weed Mapping with QField

Supporting farmer-led weed mapping

DPIRD's skeleton weed mapping program puts mapping tools directly into the hands of farmers, enabling them to record infestations on their own properties and contribute valuable information about the spread of this invasive weed in Western Australia.

Farmers use a QField project provided by DPIRD to collect the information in the field. Mammoth was engaged to help DPIRD staff get comfortable supporting that workflow and dealing with the practical questions and problems that come with putting a field app into the hands of a large and varied group of users.

Making QField easier to support

We provided QField training for DPIRD staff and Local Action Group coordinators, focusing on the practical knowledge they needed to help farmers use the app with confidence. This covered everyday use, common problems, troubleshooting and tips for helping users get back on track when things didn't go as expected.

We also provided support with the QField project itself, helping resolve issues and make adjustments to the workflow where needed.

To support DPIRD's existing QField workflow, we updated the user manual and developed new quick reference sheets and a troubleshooting guide. These resources gave DPIRD staff practical material to use when helping farmers with common questions and issues.

open source tools for distributed mapping

As Australia's QField partner, Mammoth was well placed to provide specialist knowledge of the platform and practical experience supporting field data collection workflows.

For a program like this, the technology needs to be straightforward to use for non-GIS specialists. Making the mapping process easier and better supported helps reduce the barriers to participation, giving more farmers the opportunity to contribute useful data.