Notes for March 9 FISC.
Topic: Finding and Using Production Ag Websites
1. Search Engines
2. Finding the Information You Need
3. Sorting Out the Good from the Bad
4. Querying Within a Site
5. Saving Information
1. “Official” Search Engines:
- Google (largest database, over 4 billion pages)
- Altavista
- Ask (meta)
- Many others…most of them buy services from the above
- Pseudo-engines…not nearly as widely scoped.
Difference: Different databases of sites
Similarity: All use keywords to answer your query
2. Finding the Info You Need:
- What are you looking for?
- Name brands
- People
- Topics
- What kind of information?
- Data
- Articles
- Special offers / Purchasing
- Will help determine the query style you should use
- AND, OR, NOT, PHRASE(“”)
3. Sorting Out the Good from the Bad:
- Names you know, associations and companies you trust (NRCS, USDA, USGS, etc)
- Age of information, is it old news?
- “See Similar” functions can help (other similar attributes in database)
4. Querying Within a Site:
- When you’ve found a good site, what next?
- Look for a “search box” (or use the “browse topics” function where avail.)
- Keywords still apply here, start general…get specific
- Sitemaps can be great helpers…if done right
5. Saving Information:
- Simple “save as”
- Copy and paste into editor
- Screen shots (graphically inclined?)
- Book marking (downside…dead links)
Overall:
- Be careful about the info/data you collect…got metadata?
- Be patient with searches, use “advanced” features when available
- Remember keywords and operators (AND, OR, NOT, PHRASE)
Websites
Using information gateways, or WEB PORTALS, is a great way to find multiple sites at once, instead of relying on a broad-base search engine. Downside: dead links.
Portals:
Agricultural Network Information Center
http://www.agnic.org
- Browse by topic, calendar
AGeze.com
http://www.ageze.com/
- Ag search engine, markets, classifieds, community
Agronomic Links Around the Globe
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/links
- Links by state
Forage Information System
http://forages.oregonstate.edu/
- Topics, resources, organizations
Wisconsin Ag Connection
http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/
- State portal
Management info: (more specific)
NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service)
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/
- Farm bill, conservation programs
- Technical guides and resources
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/
- Water quality, watershed management
Potash & Phosphate Institute
http://www.ppi-ppic.org
- Research database
- Special features (in depth looks at hot topics)
Back-to-Basics
http://www.back-to-basics.net
- News, tips, fertility quiz
- Regional updates
- Narrowing the yield gap
- Nutrient deficiency photos
Wisconsin Phosphorus Index
http://wpindex.soils.wisc.edu/
SNAP (2000) (soil nutrient management application program)
http://www.discoveryfarms.org/snap_2000.htm
- SNAP Plus coming
- Free download
Soil Data (Tabular and Spatial) Online
http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/Default.aspx
- Not yet fully operational
- Will be finished by end of 2004
- Not all counties
Manufacturer’s links:
John Deere
http://www.deere.com/servlet/AgHomePageServlet
- Product Configurator
- Careers: http://www.deere.com/en_US/careers/index.html?sidenavstate=001
Case IH
http://www.caseih.com/home.asp?Reg=NA&RL=ENNA
- Equipment showcase
PrecisionAg
http://www.precisionag.com/
- Good resource for finding manufacturers of precision ag equipment
Environmental Systems Research Institute
http://www.esri.com
- Makers of “Arc” GIS software.
Other links/Publications:
UW Cooperative Extension Service
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/index.cfm
University of Wisconsin – Madison Soil Science Extension
http://www.soils.wisc.edu/extension/index.htm
Agronomy Journal
http://agron.scijournals.org/