COLUMBUS, Ohio — Staying profitable in farming means having quick and easy access to practical and concise research-based information and expert recommendations – which is exactly what the newly revised Ohio State University Agronomic Crops Network web site and newsletter is intended to provide.
Farmers, consultants and ag businesses who regularly visit the site (http://agcrops.osu.edu) will find significant changes to the crop production management resource tool. In addition, the valued Crop Observation and Recommendation Network (C.O.R.N.) newsletter will also feature a new look (http://corn.osu.edu).
"It's all about getting information in the hands of farmers faster," said Harold Watters, an Ohio State University Extension agronomist. "These changes are based on farmer surveys and focus groups. Farmers told us they don't care about paper anymore. They want their information electronically, fast, and up-to-date, and that's what we are trying to provide with this new look."
The Agronomic Crops Network website is the hub of OSU Extension's Signature Program, "Increasing Profitable Crop Yields Above Trendline – 2014," which aims to meet the growing demand for food, feed, fiber, fuels, and industrial uses of Ohio's crops.
"Profitability is No. 1 in farmers' eyes," said Watters. "Increasing yields increases profits and implementing various production practices, like soil testing, scouting, and IPM, helps bring about those higher yields. Our objective is to share that information—in a central location—with farmers for them to achieve that goal."
The Agronomic Crops Team is a multi-disciplinary group of Extension educators, state specialists and researchers from Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. The purpose of the group is to provide accurate and timely information, provide educational opportunities and conduct research projects addressing the needs of Ohio's agronomic crop industry.