We are attempting to apply the best available information on natural
resource management and economics to agricultural decision-making.
Part of the effort is to make the most out of the information that
is available by defining commonly used management systems, extrapolating
observed datasets, and calibrating and improving simulation models.
The other part of the effort is applying the resulting information
so that producers can understand their options and select improved
management systems. We are assuming that the NRCS will handle the
development of the components of the system that do not directly
relate to the application of improved science.
The purpose of this project is to facilitate the decision making
process for producers to incorporate information on sustainability,
offsite effects and profitability. When completed, this system will
allow producers to enhance their agricultural planning by giving
them a logical framework for decision making based on documented
science. The NRCS will be able to provide this improved information
without painstaking efforts to simulate each field on their own.
The ultimate customers of this system will be the agricultural
producers who need to integrate the information that we provide
with their objectives and knowledge about their resources to select
the management system that meets their objectives within the constraints
of the resources they are managing. The NRCS and possibly consultants
would use the system to provide technical assistance to producers.
We are focusing on Phase II (steps 5,6,and 7) of
the NRCS Conservation Planning Process:
Phase II - Decision Support (Understanding the
Solutions)
Step 5 - Formulate Alternatives
User zooms in to area of interest:

User defines Resource Management Systems using the CPPE approach:

User provides field specifications:

User creates CPPE matrix:
Step 6 - Evaluate Alternatives
User defines a matrix of alternatives vs. decision criteria:

System provides detailed analysis of model results and observed
data by showing graphs:
System provides a budget based on the EconDocs tool:

Step 7- Make Decision
Use the Facilitator decision support tool to make a decision:
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