We are leaders in the development of interactive web content for agricultural extension. By integrating dynamic, high-resolution data with agronomic models based on our field-scale research, we are transitioning the delivery of extension information from static to dynamic platforms. Our decision support tools feature interactive user experience and communicate spatiotemporally specific information on a growing number of topics related to the management of small grains in California. These include:
- The Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Tool for California Wheat produces customized, site-specific nitrogen fertilizer recommendations based on monitoring of crop health and soil nitrogen in tandem with a N-rich reference zone.
- The Crop Growth Stage and Forecasting Web-Tool provides site-specific estimates of crop growth stage, and information about N uptake and precipitation patterns for customizable date ranges, including 10-year averages and a 10-day forecast.
- The Soil Nitrate Quick Test is an easy-to-use, DIY method for estimating soil nitrate concentrations and fertilizer N equivalence in the top foot of soil. The web-tool and its accompanying instructional content guide users in the use of the soil nitrate quick test and incorporate site-specific soil characteristics to estimate fertilizer equivalence.
- The California Weather Web-Tool provides site-specific precipitation and temperature data for customizable date ranges and includes 10-year averages and a 10-day forecast.
- The UC Small Grain Variety Selection Web-Tool pinpoints small grain varieties that have performed well in particular regions and environments of California using data from our multi-year, multi-location field trials.
- The UC Small Grain Seeding Rate Calculator is an interactive webtool that determines the best seeding rate based on crop type, variety, and agronomic conditions.
We write the underlying software for our tools in-house with the aim to make our code base publicly available on our GitHub page.
Aside from our dynamic content, we also develop and curate the content on the Small Grains portion of the UC Agronomy Research and Information Center website (http://smallgrains.ucdavis.edu/) and the UC Small Grains Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/smallgrains/).