Increasing Awareness of Precision Agriculture: From the Research to the Field Jessica Sheffield SOIL/BAE 4213

Issues to Overcome Getting the information to producers Tradition Economics Crops produced Internet is good, but…

Getting the Information to Producers Baby steps, no information overload! Most Producers live in rural areas They don’t have high speed internet, dial up is too slow, people are impatient Information needs to be fast, easy, and accessible The soil fertility handbook is too big and intimidating

Producers are Visual Learners Producers want to be able to see the difference and results of the technology The technology has to be accessible!!! Most farms are in remote areas and don’t have access to the information on the web or it would already be implemented more often Information should be provided to Coops, Cooperative Extension offices, and at growers meetings

Tradition Most farms that are in production now have been in production for 60+ years using the yield goal method, it will take education and time for the yield potential method to gain acceptance

Economics Farmers need to see the bottom line In crops other than wheat (higher value) Fuel, energy, and the cost of farmland keep increasing Farmers have to cut corners wherever possible Nitrogen technology is the easiest way thus far

Crop and Forage Species Nitrogen Efficiency Technology Currently applied to: Corn Bermudagrass Wheat Sorghum Potassium and Phosphorus technology for Soybeans and Alfalfa Specialty crops like Spinach and Greens Point is that this technology has endless possibilities and could quickly become too big for the current Cooperative Extension Programs to promote

Possible Solutions New County Agronomist Position New Assistant Region Agronomist Position County Agronomy Ambassador Brochures

County Agronomist Create a new position for each county to address the production agriculture issues, these positions should be filled by students with Agronomy education background Why create this position? - County Agents are already extremely busy - Better enthusiasm for the programs - Able to meet one on one with more producers

Assistant Regional Agronomist Create a new position to assist the Regional Agronomist in educating and encouraging producers to implement new technologies They would be responsible more for teaching the new techniques and helping the Regional Agronomist where needed

Agronomy Ambassador Each county will have an “ambassador” This producer would have access to technology and equipment, and be able to have on farm demonstrations annually Other producers will feel less intimidated by “the university” So, this producer will serve as a liaison of sorts Not a permanent appointment, switch every so many years

Brochures Easy to Access Strategically placed where Producers often visit Something Producers can file This would be an introduction to the whole idea Brochures are supposed to catch the attention of the target audience and lead them to seek more information about the subject

Brochures Continued A picture is worth a thousand words Producers can hang on to them, file, read later A brochure will get the correct information into the hands of producers Brochures are cheap - compared to all the excess Nitrogen flowing down the Mississippi

“Perfect World” Scenario All the before mentioned techniques would be used Ambassador and Brochures would be the best outreach option County Agronomist and Regional Assistant Agronomist positions are going to be too expensive

Resources and Acknowledgements Julia Boyd, OSU English Department, Technical Writing Instructor www.nue.okstate.edu Dr. Raun, Dr. Solie, and Dr. Karen Hickman www.repairtech.org

Questions? Questions?