Savannah: So, that thing that you're holding in your hand right now to watch this video? It's a farming tool.

When farmers are growing rice, it takes a lot of time to walk through the fields to see how mature the grains are. Plus, that assessment can actually damage those plants. And for smaller rice farms, every plant counts. So, here's where the phones come in:

New research has shown that it's possible to use a smartphone to take pictures of the rice and use those images to determine when the ideal harvest time will be. Scientists trained an algorithm to analyze the color and moisture level of rice grains, and an app may soon be able to tell farmers when to harvest to get the most bang for their buck and help smaller farms get bigger yields. So, it'll be a low-cost way to improve these farmers' livelihoods.

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