New Online Tool Helps Growers Easily Find On-Farm Research Results
A new tool is available on the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network (NOFRN) website that allows growers to simply click on a map of Nebraska to find out about research projects conducted on farms in their area.
Laura Thompson, Nebraska Extension educator, says, “NOFRN’s Results Finder contains over 600 studies and is updated annually. It is mobile friendly and very easy to use. Select one, several or all of the counties and the information is readily available.”
The database behind the map has several layers of functionality. The database allows growers to search by keyword, filter results by year, crop, irrigation, topic, and subtopic, or explore using the map. Thompson says, “We have an abundance of information available to growers and crop advisors. We wanted to make the results finder easy to use and data-rich. New data will be added each year as studies are completed.”
NOFRN results finder is on the on-farm research website at cropwatch.unl.edu/farmresearch. Click on “Research Results.”
While the results finder is the newest way to obtain research results, the 2016 growing season research results book is also available on the website as a PDF. The book was produced for the NOFRN research update sessions held at several sites across Nebraska earlier this year and contains results of studies completed during last year’s growing season. The update sessions were attended by 177 people who heard results first-hand from the growers who conducted the research.
Thompson says, “We make the research findings available in several ways so that growers and crop advisors can learn in the way that works best for them – whether that is the searchable database, the PDF book or networking at our update meetings. Websites and booklets are great tools, but we frequently hear from growers that they find great value in the interactions with other growers at the annual update meetings.”
NOFRN is a collaborative partnership which includes Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff Board, and the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission. The goal of the network is to put to use a statewide on-farm research program addressing critical farmer production, profitability and natural resources questions. For more information, contact Thompson at 402-472-8043, laura.thompson@unl.edu or contact your local Nebraska Extension office.
Nebraska Extension is in the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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