Pl@ntNet App

Pl@ntNet is a citizen science project and mobile application that assists users in identifying plants through photographs. Launched in 2009 and developed by a consortium of French research institutes—including the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique (INRIA), and the Tela Botanica network—the app leverages machine learning to analyze plant images and provide identification results. As of 2019, Pl@ntNet had been downloaded over 10 million times across more than 180 countries. The app is available in multiple languages and can be accessed via smartphones and web platforms. Users can contribute to the app's database by uploading photos of plants, aiding in global plant biodiversity research. The app is free to use and is available on both iOS and Android devices. The development and maintenance of Pl@ntNet are managed by the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), a French public research institution dedicated to international development and research in tropical and Mediterranean regions. The IRD continues to oversee the app's operations and updates, ensuring its relevance and accuracy in plant identification.