This document summarizes the evaluation of decision support tools created by the Useful to Usable (U2U) project to help farmers and agricultural advisors incorporate climate information into their decisions. It describes four tools created (Corn GDD, Climate Patterns Viewer, Corn Split Nitrogen, AgClimate View) and how they were promoted through 98 outreach events reaching over 6,400 people. User testing and surveys found the tools were well received and likely to be used, especially the Corn GDD tool. Website usage data is presented showing tools are being accessed, especially around outreach events. The evaluation aims to understand the tools' impact and how to continue improving climate decision support.

1. Ag/Climate Decision Support Tools for Farmers and
Ag. Advisors: The Products, Outreach and Evaluation
*Evaluation Associate, University of Wisconsin Extension
SWCS 7.27.15 Greensboro, NC
Jenna Klink, Dennis Todey, Vikram Koundinya*, Chad Hart & Linda
Prokopy
U2U Project

2. About the Project

3. About U2U
• Useful to Usable (U2U) is a USDA-funded research
and extension project focused on improving the
uptake of climate information
• U2U is a team of climatologists, crop modelers,
agronomists, IT specialists, economists,
sociologists, Extension, evaluators and more

5. The Decision Support Tools (DSTs)

6. • Corn Growing Degree Days (GDD): Track
real-time GDD accumulations and learn about climate
risks for corn development
• Climate Patterns Viewer (CPV): Connect
global climate conditions to local climate impacts
• Corn Split Nitrogen: Determine the feasibility and
profitability of using in-season nitrogen application for
corn production
• AgClimate View (ACV): Customize historical
climate and crop yield data for the U.S. Corn Belt

7. Outreach

8. • Extension educators and marketing specialists work
together to present the DSTs and educational
resources at producer and advisor meetings
• Partner with a media company to achieve broader
outreach
• Distribute a sales kit of DST educational materials to
educators/advisors

9. U2UPresentationson Decision Support
Toolsto Farmersand Advisors
Thismap represents98 outreach eventsfor the U2UProject from July 2013 to February 2015.
At 64 of these events,over 6,400 farmersand advisorswere reached.
[At least 3 regional webinarsheld are not displayed here but reached attendeesfrom at least 7 states(IA,MI,MN,ND,OH,SD,WI).]
Asof February 2015
Created by UW
Environmental Resources
Center’sEvaluation Unit
The number on top of agiven marker representsthe total number of outreach eventsheld in that location.The statesoutlined in red are the pilot statesasindicated by the initial proposal.The green
shading refersto corn production:more corn isproduced in the darker green areas.
2
2
3
2
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
22
2
2
2
2
2
2
2 2
2
2
2
4

10. Track using Smartsheet.com
Likelihood to use, relevance, point of contact for various sign-ups
Based on what you’ve seen, what other tools or products would you like to see developed in the
future?

12. Evaluation

13. Why evaluate? Learning & accountability
• Formative
– impact
– Collaborative tool development
• Summative
–  impact

14. How do we evaluate?
• Gather & analyze feedback; report to team
– From team
– From testers: experts & those with occupations
“closely tied to farming industry”
– From potential & actual users
• Our target audiences: agricultural advisors &
farmers in 12 states

15. The deliverables / tools
1. UserTesting.com
2. “Expert” testing using Qualtrics online surveying
Changes have been made to tools based on this feedback:
• GDD zoom capabilities – easier to get information now
• Split N default values – yield penalties & formatting of economics
• Help button easier to find
3. Surveys now linked to tool webpages

18. % of respondents who are likely and very likely to use each U2U tool, with
the overall percent of “at least somewhat likely” displayed above each bar.
The bar on the far right represents the percentage of respondents that are at
least somewhat likely to use at least one of the tools.
53%
66%
51% 53%
26%
81%
29% 6%
18% 17%
21%
81%
72%
69% 69%
47%
81%
0%
90%
Growing
Degree Day
(n=483)
Climate
Patterns
Viewer
(n=47)
Split Nitrogen
(n=235)
AgClimate
View (n=139)
Probable
Field Work
Days (n=19)
Combined
(n=549)
Likely Very Likely

19. Around 100 in one week of
December.
Iowa=285 in month of March.

20. The marketing/dissemination
• >12,000 mail; <7,000 email
• Quarterly beginning in March 2015
• Learning & accountability (10K per quarter)

22. Fig 1. Comparison ofrecipients’ Emailerresponsebehavior(open vs.click)to theU2U mailer
30 30
44
22
11
38
6
4
12
2 3
15
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Ag.
Extension
Certified
Crop
Advisors
SWCS TSP NACD U2U
Open%
Click%
Saleemafrom USIMsays their typical
open rateis 10-15% & click rateis 1-5%
(Theynormallyselectbasedonhousehold
income,whether childrenpresent,etc.
whereas wehadspecific targetlists,soshe
thinks that’s whyour performanceishigher.)
Amber sentMailChimpstatsthatshowthese
averages:
 Agriculture/FoodServices:26%open,
3.5%click
 Software/WebApp:23%open,2.8%click
 Marketing/Advertising:19%open,2.2%
click
Our goal=definitelyget>23%openrate.
Comparison of recipients’ mailer response
behavior to the CPV emailer

23. Figure 2. Distribution ofU2Uwebsite users in the12-stateMid-Western region forthemonth ofJune2015
Note. Websiteusersarethetotal numberof users(new+returning) as retrieved fromGoogleAnalyticsdata
No.of U2Uwebsite usersover last six months(January2015to June 2015) =8,679
Jan 2015 =1,030; Feb 2015 =788; Mar 2015 =2,217 April2015 =1,380 May = 1,563 June = 1,701
89
63
58 60
48
13
18
48 47
35
51
40
18
13
78
229
140
86
74
16
26
72 70
65 61
54
18
24
82 86
0
50
100
150
200
250
June 15th: CPV Emailer
was sent
June 16th and 17th: A
significant increase in the
June 22nd to25th: More
users than the average June 29th and
30th: More users
June 1st to 4th : More
users than the average
MEDIAN
MEAN

24. Users
DecisionSupportTools Last three months
Corn GDD : 1,843
Corn SplitN : 375
ACV : 472
CPV : 427
Entire duration
Corn GDD : 7,432
Corn SplitN : 1,720
ACV : 2,505
CPV : 1,668

25. Thank you!

26. Corn Growing Degree Days (GDD)
• This tool puts current conditions into a 30-year historical perspective
and offers trend projections through the end of the calendar year. GDD
projections, combined with analysis of historical analog data, can help
make decisions about:
 Climate Risks – Identify the likelihood of reaching maturity before
frosts/freezes
 Activity Planning – Consider corn hybrid estimated physiological
maturity requirements, along with GDD projections when making seed
purchasing and other growing season decisions
 Marketing – Look at historical and projected GDD when considering
forward pricing and crop insurance purchases

27. Climate Patterns Viewer (CPV)
• This tool provides a historical (1981-2010) look at how the El Niño Southern
Oscillation (ENSO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) have affected local climate
conditions across the Corn Belt. You can explore the influence on:
 average monthly total precipitation,
 average monthly temperature,
 deviations of these variables from 1971-2000 normals, and
 deviations of these variables from neutral phases
• The maps can help make decisions about:
 Climate Risks – Identify periods of more extreme weather
 Activity Planning – Consider crop choice and irrigation needs
 Marketing – Explore forward pricing alternatives

28. Corn Split Nitrogen
• This tool is designed to help farmers and farm advisors understand the
risks and benefits of using post-planting nitrogen (N) application for corn
production. The tool combines historical weather and fieldwork data with
economic considerations to determine the feasibility and profitability of
completing a second (split) N application within a user-specified time
period. This tool may help you with decisions that:
 Increase corn yields
 Reduce nitrogen costs
 Reduce nitrogen losses to the environment
 Affect the likelihood of completing in-season fieldwork

29. AgClimate View (ACV)
• This tool helps:
 Plot local temperature and precipitation variation as far back as 1980,
 Track county crop yields and trends, and
 Consider crop yields in the context of temperature, precipitation, and
growing degree day data
• Used in tandem with other decision resources, AgClimate View can
help you find long-term correlations between climate trends and
yields, while helping you put your recent crop experience into
historical context

30. Comparison of recipients’ mailer response
behavior to the GDD mailer

32. About U2U
• Transform existing climate information into usable
knowledge for agricultural decision making
• Give farmers the resources and training to more
effectively manage variable climate conditions
• Increase Extension’s capacity to address agro-
climate issues

33. The users
• Our “cohort”
• Random sample will assess our reach among farmers
• Metrics: actual use, use in decisions, willingness to
consider climate info in future
• Stories/qualitative