ABSTRACT:
Government, private agricultural advisors, and agribusinesses have developed a multitude of software programs to help producers better manage adverse environmental impacts and natural resource degradation. Little is known however about whether producers will use computers for these types of problems. We surveyed Great Plains producers to determine the prevailing adoption and use of computers for resource and environmental management. The survey uncovered serious concerns about producer willingness to use computer decision aids to address environmental or resource issues now or in the future. We also surveyed three farm-advisor groups about their roles in helping producers. In some cases, their responses indicated a distorted concept about priorities for farm and ranch computer use when compared to producer responses. The advancement of computer software use for environmental and resource management decision-making on farms or ranches remains limited unless required by the government, or until producers perceive a greater need for software to assist them in these areas.
Footnotes
Dana L. Hoag is a professor and W. Marshall Frasier is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University. James C. Ascough II is a research hydraulic engineer for the USDA Agricultural Research Service at the Great Plains System Research Unit in Fort Collins, CO.
- Copyright 2000 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.