The UNL-TAPS program is pleased to announce an exciting new opportunity to participate for all who are interested.

The 2022 TAPS Crowdsourcing Team is a new initiative beginning this spring and will depend entirely on the involvement of the public. A plot in the 2022 sprinkler corn competition, which is physically located at the West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center (WCREEC) in North Platte, Nebraska, has been set aside specifically for this inclusive, online community team that is open to the public.

TAPS will host a space, predominantly through its Twitter account, which will act as the team’s hub. Informative and supporting content will be released regularly throughout the season, and the 2022 TAPS Crowdsourcing Team will utilize publicly available, presented information and resources to aid in their decision-making throughout the contest.

TAPS focuses on six major decision areas of crop production management: hybrid selection, seeding rate, nitrogen management, irrigation management, crop insurance selection and marketing of production. This team will follow the TAPS participation model, primarily through maintenance of the managerial decisions, yet will have an online forum and the insight of extension professionals, industry leaders, and producers, all at their fingertips.

Developed content will include insight from and short videos featuring extension specialists, educators, industry professionals, peers in crop production, and more. Access to this valuable, web-based network provides a chance to make foundational relationships through online connections and opportunity to discover a wealth of collaborative producers, professionals and additional resources across the state and beyond.

After information is presented publicly online, the public will be encouraged to then vote using any web-enabled device by a set date to indicate their chosen selections for each decision area. Majority will rule and the collective will make all decisions, so that options with the most votes will be the official decisions implemented for the plots. The TAPS Crowdsourcing Team will compete in real time against all traditionally participating competitors of the 2022 TAPS sprinkler corn contest.

Decisions will begin in early April, starting with hybrid selection and seeding rate.

Be sure to look out for the official online launch of the 2022 TAPS Crowdsourcing Team, including informational materials related to the upcoming decisions. More information can be found on the TAPS site and on Twitter @UNL_TAPS.