Getting Growers to Go Digital: The Power of a Positive User Experience.
Using web based applications is an innovative approach for delivery of Extension resources. For example, myFields.info is a mobile friendly application focused on directing stakeholders to information at the field level. Acceptance and diffusion of such applications depends on initial experiences resulting from traditional face to face interactions with Extension personnel. We found that crop school participants involved in an Extension training event for a web based sampling plan showed increased willingness after the training to incorporate sampling plans in their management decisions and share relevant data with others. Specifically, our study demonstrated the value of providing hands on experience when attempting to encourage stakeholders to accept technologies. Introduction It should come as no surprise that field crop producers are "going digital" when seeking answers to crop related questions. In 2011, a multistate survey by Brown and Kelsey (2013) of 457 wheat producers revealed that 82% were finding information online for farm related topics and 86% had invested in mobile technologies, including laptop computers (62% and smartphones (43% The number of crop managers using smartphones has likely increased since the Brown and Kelsey survey was conducted, as the Pew Research Center reported in 2015 that 64% of American adults owned a smartphone, an increase from 35% in spring 2011. This move toward mobile technologies reflects the demand among stakeholders for web accessible information. Current technologies give mobile users access to information when and where they need it. Accommodating the demand for quick answers in agriculture requires innovating the delivery of Extension services by applying current technology trends (Diem, Hino, Martin, Meisenbach, 2011) especially given existing threats to cut funds for traditional face to face Extension programming (Serenari, Peterson, Bardon, Brown, 2013) The findings of Brown and Kelsey (2013) suggest that meeting stakeholders' needs will include providing information necessary for making immediate, infield management decisions through the use of a simple, yet integrated, decision support system (DSS) Broadly speaking, a DSS is a computerized information system for supporting decision making activities (Power, 2008) The medical industry has been inundated with DSSs that target efficiency in patient care (reviewed by Yasnoff Miller, 2014) and information processing (reviewed by Murphy, 2014) Examples include applications that help physicians and resource limited medical providers avoid dosing errors (Sadasivam, Gathibandhe, Tanik, Willig, 2012) provide up to date drug information (e.g. FDA Drugs) allow real time tracking of infectious Brian P. McCornack Associate Professor mccornac@ksu.edu Wendy A. Johnson Extension Associate wendyann@ksu.edu Department of Entomology Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas diseases (e.g. HealthMap) (Oehler, Smith, Toney, 2010) and offer streamlined interaction with clientele by monitoring vitals or generating automated health related reminders. The evidence that is building in favor of DSSs for improved patient care includes case studies showing reduced hospital visits and cost savings (Khan, Maclean, Littenberg, 2010) and adherence to preventative services (Bright et al. 2012) In light of these positive impacts on health care, Extension also may benefit from DSSs. DSSs targeting agriculture could streamline the processes of delivering information to producers and encouraging producers to adopt particular practices. Here, we focus on the idea of educating Extension agents and crop consultants about a crop production DSS, with the expectation that doing so may result in a positive effect on the adoption of the DSS among crop managers. It is well known that the acceptance of a new technology by the majority is strongly influenced by testimonies about perceived benefits from early adopters (Rogers, 1995) consequently, initial positive experiences with DSS applications or other new technologies among Extension agents and crop consultants should have a positive effect on these technologies' diffusion among and acceptance by producers. The web based DSS we discuss in this article, like any decision tool, does not replace current Extension services, nor does it remove the management decision from the stakeholder; rather, it is meant to enhance interactions with clients. For our study, we were interested in evaluating the potential adoption of DSS derived sampling plans for insect pests based on perceived benefits and ease of use by participants at a winter crop school. Pest sampling in wheat is often overlooked even though wheat growing areas in the southern plains states are at risk for occasional outbreaks of cereal aphids (Elliot et al. 2004) Growers are encouraged to base the treatment decision for such an outbreak on an economic threshold (ET) at the field level, an approach that is critical to maintaining the longevity of insecticides and ecosystem services (e.g. lady beetles, parasitic wasps) (Giles Walker, 2009) Regardless of the benefits that result from ET based sampling plans, adoption of these sampling tools by growers has been rather low (Giles Walker, 2009) It is plausible that certain perceptions about ET based sampling plans, particularly perceptions that they are computationally complicated or require tedious sampling efforts, are limiting their adoption. Automating these processes and storing user dependent inputs in a web based DSS can help overcome producers' negative perceptions of sampling plans, especially for low value cropping systems such as wheat. Paper Versus Digital Sampling Forms To evaluate acceptance and perceived effectiveness of a DSS derived sampling plan, we had participants at an Extension training event compare paper versus digital versions of Glance n' Go, an ET based sampling plan for greenbug aphids (greenbugs) in winter wheat (Elliot et al. 2004) With this unique plan, treatment decisions are based on the presence of the greenbug pest and the presence of a natural enemy (a parasitic wasp) observed as parasitized aphid bodies called mummies (Giles, Royer, Elliott, Kindler, 2000; Royer, Giles, Elliott, 2002a; Royer, Giles, Elliott, 2002b) Currently, growers can use Glance n' Go by downloading and printing sampling forms associated with the applicable ET (number of aphids per tiller) through a web application called the Cereal Aphid Decision Support Tool (available at http:/entoplp.okstate.edu/gbweb/index3.htm) Specifically, the sampling forms are used as follows: 1. The user opens the Greenbug Calculator from the Cereal Aphid Decision Support Tool site (http:/entoplp.okstate.edu/gbweb/welcome%20gb.htm) by using a Java based plug in compatible with most browsers. Feature Getting Growers to Go Digital: The Power of a Positive User Experience JOE 54(4) (c) 2016 Extension Journal Inc. 1 2. The user provides information about plant stage, time of year, region, crop value, and control costs, and the calculator determines an ET based on those user inputs. 3. The user is prompted to print the ET specific sampling form as a PDF and then completes it by manually tallying observations for presence of greenbugs and mummies on wheat tillers across a wheat field. 4. The user makes a treatment decision on the basis of information provided on the form. The treatment decision options "treat," "don't treat," or "keep sampling" are based on the running totals of observations for at least 15 tillers. 5. If the "keep sampling" decision applies, the user continues sampling. In such cases, the user needs to remember to carry over the running totals. We have simplified this process by creating Pest Sampler, a digital module on a web based DSS called myFields.info (available at myFields.info) The myFields DSS is the result of an effort to provide crop producers with easily accessible resources and integrated pest management tools. Current tools, which include the Pest Sampler, Diagnostic Keys, and Variety Support System modules, among others, are free for site visitors and are designed for use on mobile devices. Working from the original design (Giles et al. 2000; Royer et al. 2002a; Royer et al. 2002b) we made modifications so that the sampling plan resides entirely in our digital Pest Sampler module, eliminating several steps currently involved in use of the Greenbug Calculator, including printing a paper form. The Pest Sampler for Glance n' Go uses an algorithm to tally the recorded number of infested tillers and aphid mummies and then reports the appropriate treatment decision on the basis of user derived data. When sampling is complete, a report with the final treatment decision is generated and saved to the user's field history (available at http:/myfields.info/pest_sampler) (Johnson McCornack, 2014) Additionally, location data can be collected from a GPS equipped mobile device to allow for real time monitoring of pest populations at a county level. The myFields DSS can notify users about risks of pest outbreaks, but this feature is reliant on users' willingness to share sampling information. Therefore, it is essential that potential users see the value of such a system. The overarching goal is to help stakeholders make the best possible management decisions by using their data combined with information from scientific journals and other peer reviewed publications. Methodology We designed an exercise that simulated field sampling for greenbug to provide crop school participants the opportunity to experience the differences between paper and digital versions of the Glance n' Go sampling forms. This approach allowed us to assess the influence of a new technology (a digital sampling form) on the decisionmaking behaviors of crop managers and their willingness to adopt new technologies. The exercise was conducted with 82 crop managers (Extension educators and