The document summarizes the work of the Useful to Usable (U2U) project, which aims to transform climate data and information into usable tools to help agricultural producers manage risks from a variable and changing climate. U2U conducts stakeholder surveys and focus groups to understand farmer and advisor needs and concerns about climate impacts. It is developing decision support tools to provide climate data and help with decisions around issues like post-planting nitrogen application and irrigation investment. The project involves collaborators from various fields and seeks stakeholder input to develop and evaluate tools that address key decision points and will actually be used by the agricultural community.

1. 1
Melissa Widhalm
U2U Project Manager, Purdue University
USDA Agroclimatology PD Meeting – December 16-18, 2016
Useful to Usable:
Transforming Climate Variability and Change Information
for Cereal Crop Producers

2. 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 capacity to address
agro-climate issues
Our Vision
More resilient and profitable farms
in a variable and changing climate

3. U2U Team
climatologists, crop modelers, agronomists,
IT specialists, economists, sociologists, Extension, and more

4. Pilot test tools, methods, and outreach
Project Objectives
Models and Data Stakeholder Input
Decision
Support
Tools
IA IN
NE
MI
Disseminate across 12 state region

5. We strive to transform useful information into usable tools that
actually get used!
Stakeholder interaction, from the beginning and throughout
the entire process, is essential!
Regular evaluation of our tools, and our team, to ensure we are
meeting needs.
Photo credit: https://fromasecondstorywindow.wordpress.com/

6. 5
D e c i s i o n
S u p p o r t
T o o l s
50Peer-
Reviewed
P u b l i c a t i o n s
By Th e Nu mb ers
TEN Students
G r a d u a t e d
1
4
5
Scientific
Conference
Presentations
150+
Outreach Events Web Users
37,000+
2011 – 2017
Proje c t
Pe riod
2015 College of Ag
TEAM Award
2015 USDA-NIFA
Partnership AwardTrade &
Popular Press
150
Articles

7. Stakeholder Interactions for DST Development
• Surveys
• Focus groups
• Interviews
• User testing
• Hands-on training

8. Climate Needs Assessment Surveys
Data collect Feb-March 2012
n = 2,530
n = 4,778
Questions:
• Use of weather/climate information
• Risk management strategies
• Timing of on-farm decisions
• Climate change concerns and beliefs
• Influential information sources

9. Ag community is concerned about climate-related impacts
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Longer
droughts
Increased
soil erosion
Increased
weeds
Increased
heat stress
Increased
nutrient
loss
More
frequent
extreme
rains
Increased
insects
More crop
disease
More
saturated
soils
Increased
flooding
Percent
Producers Advisors
Showing % concerned or very concerned

10. Farmers climate concerns vary across region: More frequent extreme rain events
(percent concerned or very concerned)

11. Historical and future climate info is underutilized
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Historical
weather
trends
Weather
data for the
past 12
months
Current
weather
conditions
1-7 day
forecasts
8-14 day
outlooks
Monthly or
seasonal
outlooks
Annual or
longer term
outlooks
Percent
Producers
Advisors
Showing % who reported a “moderate” or “strong” influence on decisions/advice
Prokopy et al. 2013. “Agricultural Advisors: A Receptive Audience for Weather and Climate Information?” Weather, Climate, and Society, 5:162-167

12. Haigh et al. 2015. “Mapping the Decision Points and Climate Information use of
Agricultural Producers across the U.S. Corn Belt.” Climate Risk Management
When can climate information influence
a decision making process?
• Survey data revealed when
different decisions made across the
region.
• These can be “entry points” for
climate information.
• Some decisions made in advance
(e.g. seed purchase); some more
tactical (e.g. cover crops)
S/O/NJ/J/AM/A/MD/J/F

13. Q: Please indicate how influential the following groups and individuals are when
you make decisions about agricultural practices and strategies
Results from a 2012 survey of Midwestern corn producers conducted by Useful to Usable (U2U) and SustainableCorn.org
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Strong Influence
Moderate Influence
Slight Influence
No Influence
No contact
Prokopy et al. 2014. “Adoption of Agricultural Conservation Practices: Insights from Research and Practice” Purdue Extension Publication FNR-488-W.

14. Who do non-Extension ag advisors trust for climate information?
Distrust Trust
Prokopy, L.S., et al.. 2015. “Extension's Role in Disseminating Information about Climate Change to Agricultural Stakeholders in the United States.” Climatic Change.

15. Climate change is occurring 66% 75%
 Humans are at least partly
responsible
41% 50%
Most farmers and advisors believe climate change is happening,
but opinions differ on the role of human activity
Farmers Advisors
Climate change beliefs
significantly influence perceived
climate risks, willingness to use
climate info, risk management,
adaptation/mitigation beliefs
and trusted info sources.
Arbuckle et al. 2013. “Corn Belt Farmers and Climate Change: Beliefs, Perceived Risk, and Support for Action.” Climatic Change Letters,117(4): 943-950.
Prokopy et al. 2015. “Agricultural stakeholder views on climate change: Implications for conducting research and outreach.” BAMS 96(2): 181-190.

16. Percent Agree or
Strongly Agree
Question: It is important for farmers to adapt to climate
change to ensure the long-term success of U.S. agriculture

17. Survey Take Away Messages
• High concern for climate impacts, but climate information
is underutilized in ag
– Think critically about where climate information could be
beneficial in decision making
• Reconsider the messenger…
– Farmers are greatly influenced by advisors, and advisors trust
scientists and Extension for climate info. Leverage this trust!
• …And the message!
– Need to recognize and respond to differences in climate change
beliefs in our tools, training, and communication

18. This tool provides easy-to-use historical climate
and crop yield data for the Corn Belt
AgClimateViewDST
Track real-time accumulations and learn about
climate risks for corn development.
CornGDDDST
Connect global climate conditions to local climate
impacts.
ClimatePatternsViewerDST
Determine the feasibility and profitability of using post-
planting nitrogen application for corn production.
CornSplitNDST
Explore the profitability of investing in irrigation
equipment within the Corn Belt.
IrrigationInvestmentDST
AgClimate4u.org

19. Thank you!
Follow Us on Twitter!
@AgClimate4U
Melissa Widhalm
U2U Project Manager
mwidhalm@purdue.edu
765-494-8191