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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 – – Bandwagon effect – Times of Crisis High Demand 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 – – Soil test kit information table – Allows users to enter information obtained from soil test kits Results – Allows users to identify soil series based on observations taken in the field Provides a color photograph to verify soil series 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?