A Mobile-Based Farm Machinery Hiring System

Agriculture as the oldest profession dates back to the Stone Age. Advances in technologies like diesel engine tractors and other tools with hydrostatic capability and control brought about agricultural mechanization which increased food productivity and industrialization. The aim of this research work is to design a mobile application for distributing or leasing agricultural machineries to farmers using locations-based services. The design also took into consideration the configuration of the various topologies and other factors that could enhance the flexibility of a mobile application of this nature. The user platform is categorized into three sections: the presentation layer, the business layer, and the data layer. The presentation layer is focused on the design logic and the navigational tools used in locating the right hiring type. It is also responsible for choosing the right data format using data validation technique to protect the app from invalid data entry. The business layer is responsible for logging in, authentication, exception handling, and security matters. While the data layer is focused on facilitating secure data transactions, the beauty of it is that it can be rescaled over time to meet the challenges of the time. The application was developed using JavaScript and MySQL with Phonegap/Cordova, XAMMP, and PHP for the backend. It was validated using formative evaluation which was conducted using interviews and open-ended questionnaires. The results of usability test obtained are promising.