Buetow measurement of goals
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Ryan Buetow
Extension Cropping Systems Specialist
Dickinson Research Extension Center
North Dakota State University
1041 State Avenue
701 456-1106
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You can’t manage what you don’t measure.
A lot of our management decisions are based off of various forms of data. This could be yield data, weather data, soil sample data, industry R&D, public institutions, on-farm research, and pretty much everything and anything that can be measured from any source. Whenever I converse with a farmer about their management, the most important questions become,
1. What are your cropping system goals?
2. What are your main limiting factors?
How do we measure those goals and how do we measure those limiting factors? The limiting factors are nearly limitless but could be disease, insects, weather, soil issues, and inputs. The goals could be increased yield, reduced costs, and/or increased quality. We need to think what are those measurable variables associated with those goals and limiting factors. How useful is the data we have available to us? Are there any tools that could improve our decision making?
If we do not measure a limiting factor, we are unable to track our progress and see if adjustments are having an effect. Even worse, we never realize that continuing to do the same thing is surprisingly not changing anything. No matter the subject you cannot manage what you do not measure. With fertility alone, best management practices require soil nutrient testing, measurement of soil temperatures, equipment calibration, and fertilizer placement.
Often, there is too much information. This tends to condition us to ignore most of the information and go with the easiest option or what has worked in the past. This problem can slow our progress towards reaching our goals. Remember, make sure to think through what your goals and issues are and how you can track and measure your goals. Let your data work for you and make an improvement each growing season to meet your goals.
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