Grainswest - Tech 2022

Tech 2022 Grains West 48 BY IAN DOIG • PHOTO BY MEGAN EVANS Pandemic changed the way farmers access information Agorganizationssupersize their virtual reach GRAIN SCIENCE NEWS MASSIVE RESOURCES ARE POURED into agricultural research. It’s the goal of industry organizations to present this rich body of fresh agronomic information alongside established knowledge and make it easy to understand for farmers and agronomists. This communication process is commonly referred to as “extension.” “We’re constantly on the lookout for information that will help provide decision-making tools for farmers so they can be more effective and economic with crop production,” said Jeremy Boychyn, Alberta Wheat and Barley agronomy research extension specialist. The pandemic interrupted the flow of extension information when it put in-per- son events such as field days, crop walks and regional farmer meetings on hold for two years. Government-funded extension became especially sparse. Prior to this roadblock, ag organ- izations published YouTube videos, podcasts and held webinars, but uptake had its limits. According to a late 2019 pre-pandemic survey conducted by Sheri Strydhorst, Alberta Wheat and Barley’s agronomy research specialist, farmers’ most-trusted source of extension infor- mation was in-person presentations by scientists. “Farmers have a strong desire for third-party, independent perspective on products and practices,” she said. Second was crop walks and fact sheets. Farmers were more hesitant to rely upon virtual presentations, but this appears to have changed. These new mediums took on much higher priority as pandemic restrictions ramped up in spring 2020. It became more difficult to keep farmers informed on best agronomic practices and new de- velopments, said Boychyn. “That was the big thing. How do we provide this timely information so farmers can access it now and later?” Ag organizations quickly supersized their virtual offerings. This required delib- eration about how best to deliver informa- tion and assess the effectiveness of online engagement. Boychyn hosted the In the Field Webinar series, which featured guest experts who spoke on timely agronomic subjects. The 2020 growing season kicked off with presentations on early-season weed control, the value of in-crop nitrogen application and a rundown of the year’s planned Gateway Research Organiza- tion (GRO) field trials. These live, online sessions allowed viewers to ask ques- tions or to watch the archived webinars on the commissions’ website. Boychyn noted farmers are an entrepreneurial, knowledge-seeking group and had more opportunity and desire to attend webinars or listen to podcasts. This accelerated the adoption curve. Farmers were not as keen to attend vir- tual field days or pre-recorded plot tours. These virtual events lacked the tactile component of real life. Participants find it hard to stay engaged and focused on such daylong online events. With the aid of Canadian Agriculture Partner- ship funds delivered by Results Driven Agriculture Research, Alberta Wheat and Barley produced five minute videos that tackled central agronomic concepts. Top- ics included feed barley variety selection, row spacing, seeding rates, plant growth The increased popularity of Agronomy update demonstrates the value of such online extension and learning opportunities for farmers.