Agriculture Extension Tools

Computers and Community Radio

Outline

SimCorn: A Software Designed to Support Site-Specific Nutrient Management for Farmers of Small Parcels in the Tropics

Rural Radio in Agricultural Extension: The Example of vernacular Radio Programmes on Soil and Water Conservation in N. Ghana.

Discussion

SimCorn – the problem

Farmers receiving incorrect information about how much fertilizer to use

– Times of Crisis– High Demand

Bandwagon effect– Farmers prosper or fail as a group

‘Blanket Fertilization’– Many types of soil, but everybody uses the same

amounts/types

SimCorn – the goals

Precision Agriculture Empower farmers

– Field identification of soils (software/farmer)– Test kit that farmers could use to test soil for

nutrients (farmer)– Decision-aid (this paper) (software)

Help farmers determine proper amounts of different fertilizers to use

SimCorn – how decision-aid works

Soil property table– Allows users to identify soil series based on observations taken in

the field– Provides a color photograph to verify soil series

Soil test kit information table– Allows users to enter information obtained from soil test kits

Results– Provides the most economical blend of available fertilizer materials

Tables hard coded into software– Ensures maximum speed (important?)– Difficult to update

SimCorn

SimCorn

Implemented on both handheld and desktop computers– Desktop more useful because more extension

workers have access to a computer– Handheld more ‘handy’

Software is used by extension officers– Not farmers?

SimCorn - results

Higher standard of living for the farmers Reduction of their indebtedness Survey of 338 farmers

– Yields higher in most cases– Generally, amount recommended by software was different

(higher or lower) than current application rates. Farmers who used site-specific management had a

reduction in profit Farmers who did not use site-specific management

had a loss

SimCorn - results

SimCorn – problem solved?

Empowering Farmers?– Making them rely on Extension workers?– Literacy?

Centrally located Computers vs. Handhelds Distributed System vs. Hard Coding Computers right tool?