With a multitude of information sources available to stakeholders, it is critical that Extension emphasize the supporting work and unbiased approach that comprise the backbone of our recommendations. In Alabama, management of target spot, a disease that can devastate cotton, is the result of 100 field trials, 6,700 man-hours, and $485,800 in grants. The team involved delivered 94 associated publications and stakeholder activities and posted information via YouTube and Twitter. For Cooperative Extension to remain relevant, we must emphasize our strong experiment station partnership that ensures a foundation firmly planted in unbiased, research-based information that is not influenced by outside, market-driven interests

Conner, Kassie

Hagan, Austin

Monks, C. Dale

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

Journal of Extension Volume 55 Number 5 Article 25 10-1-2017 Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical C. Dale Monks Auburn University Austin Hagan Auburn University Kassie Conner Auburn University Recommended Citation Monks, C. D., Hagan, A., & Conner, K. (2017). Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical. Journal of Extension, 55(5), Article 25. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol55/iss5/25 This Commentary is brought to you for free and open access by TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. October 2017Volume 55Number 5Article # 5COM1CommentaryCommentaries conform to JOE submission standards and provide an opportunity for Extension professionals toexchange perspectives and ideas.Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-BasedRecommendations Is CriticalAbstractWith a multitude of information sources available to stakeholders, it is critical that Extension emphasize thesupporting work and unbiased approach that comprise the backbone of our recommendations. In Alabama,management of target spot, a disease that can devastate cotton, is the result of 100 field trials, 6,700 man-hours, and $485,800 in grants. The team involved delivered 94 associated publications and stakeholder activitiesand posted information via YouTube and Twitter. For Cooperative Extension to remain relevant, we mustemphasize our strong experiment station partnership that ensures a foundation firmly planted in unbiased,research-based information that is not influenced by outside, market-driven interests.   IntroductionTwo issues we are addressing in the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) and the AlabamaAgricultural Experiment Station (AAES) are (a) distinguishing ourselves from all the other information sourcesavailable through the Internet and industry and (b) educating our stakeholders on the critical value ofunbiased, research-based recommendations. We know that information sources over the past 30 years haveevolved from personal and paper sources to include a vast array of Internet sites (Bailey, Hill, & Arnold, 2014;Pounds, 1985). Internet resources can immediately deliver a wide range of information on any topic (Burt,2006); however, anyone relying on those resources must carefully vet them for accuracy (e.g., Cullens, 2013).If we in Extension want to continue to have an impact on agriculture and other areas, we must educate ourstakeholders on the critical value of unbiased, research-based information. In addition, we must valueteamwork and stakeholder input (Gould & Ham, 2002), especially if we want to remain strong in an industryfull of choices. Unfortunately, stakeholders typically do not have knowledge of the efforts we expend to provideunbiased, research-based information. In particular, agricultural stakeholders are seldom aware of themultitude of on-farm demonstrations, small-plot research trials, labor hours, experiences, and personalcommunications that underlie our recommendations. In fact, even we often do not realize the amount ofC. Dale MonksDirector, Research andExtension CentersAlabama AgriculturalExperiment Stationmonkscd@auburn.eduAustin HaganExtension PlantPathologistAuburn University andAlabama CooperativeExtensionhaganak@auburn.eduKassie ConnerExtension Specialistand Plant DiseaseDiagnosticianAlabama CooperativeExtensionconnekn@auburn.eduAuburn UniversityAuburn, Alabamahuman and financial resources we have invested in developing management recommendations.Herein, we use a real-world example of our response to a specific crop problem to illustrate why and how we inExtension should educate stakeholders on the effort involved in providing unbiased, research-basedrecommendations. It is critical that we continue to emphasize the difference between information provided byExtension and that provided by sources that often have a financial, "market-based" agenda. Our discussionaddresses the expanse of the work conducted and the ways in which we communicated to stakeholders notonly vital recommendations but a description of the immense effort we undertook to produce thoserecommendations.Example Project: Target Spot Management Recommendations forCottonObjectivesFor the project we are using as an example, a team was assembled for management of target spot (TS), adevastating late-season foliar disease in upland cotton. The overall yield impact can be a 30% reduction fromwhat is expected (Hagan, Bowen, Pegues, & Jones, 2015).The specific objectives were (a) to acquire stakeholder input, identify the specific problem, and develop amanagement team; (b) to use unbiased methods to plan and conduct small-plot research and on-farmdemonstrations; and (c) to compile and interpret our findings without predetermined outcomes and then makethat information available to our stakeholders.Methods UsedIn taking action to achieve our objectives, we were guided by the principles of encouraging producerinvolvement, taking advantage of the expertise and resources available in Extension and research, andavoiding any outside influences that could bias the results. To begin the process, the team leader recognizedthe need to form a rapid, comprehensive response to develop TS management options. Responsibilities for thatresponse were distributed across ACES and AAES personnel (Table 1).Table 1.Extension and Research Team Investigating Target SpotResponsible entityNo. ofpersonnel LocationAlabama Cooperative ExtensionCounty Extensioncoordinator1 Baldwin CountyRegional Extension agents 4 Central, Southeast, Southwest, andNorthStatewide Extensionspecialist1 Auburn UniversityCommentary Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical JOE 55(5)©2017 Extension Journal Inc. 1Departmental faculty 1 Auburn UniversityAlabama Agricultural Experiment StationResearch technician 1 Auburn UniversityDirectors and associatedirectors8 Research and Extension centersTotal 16Our team discussed the problem and potential impact on cotton at semiannual meetings (2011–2016) andthrough emails, ACES Timely Information fact sheets, and regional Extension agent (REA) and agent trainingwebinars, which were also made available to stakeholders via YouTube. After the initial training webinars, wecontacted crop advisors and producers in the affected areas to determine the extent of the problem.Stakeholder involvement continued throughout the project during on-site farm visits, county productionmeetings, state commodity commission meetings, and phone contacts.Next, we prepared for and conducted small-plot research and on-farm demonstration trials. These effortsinvolved significant collaboration, coordination, and manpower. During the early planning stages, we met withExtension and research scientist colleagues from Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University,University of Arkansas, University of Florida, University of Georgia, and University of Tennessee, as well aswith representatives from Cotton Incorporated, to build a robust multistate collaboration. Each group met withits respective state cotton producer commission to secure funding for its own TS management projects. Ourefforts in Alabama resulted in securing $485,800 from several sources, including the state cotton commission,Cotton Incorporated, Southern Region Integrated Pest Management, and the National Institute of Food andAgriculture (Table 2).Table 2.Funding Sources That Supported the Alabama Target Spot Investigation ProjectFundinginvestigatorFunding,2011–2016 SourceRegional Extensionagent$10,700 Alabama Cotton CommissionExtension specialist $27,000 Cotton IncorporatedResearch/Extensionfaculty$51,000 Alabama Cotton Commission$49,700 Alabama Agricultural Experiment Stationagricultural research seed grant$70,000 Cotton Incorporated$60,000 Southern Region integrated pest managementgrants (2)$25,000 IndustryCommentary Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical JOE 55(5)©2017 Extension Journal Inc. 2$192,400 Multistate National Institute of Food andAgriculture grantTotal $485,800With funding secured, we began the broad scope of work that occurred from 2012 through 2016. With theneed for a rapid yet comprehensive response, we conducted 100 trials over 5 years at the research andExtension centers (RECs) and in producer fields (Table 3). The highest concentrations of work were at the GulfCoast REC and Brewton Agricultural Research Unit because those research units are located in the epicenter ofthe initial outbreak in southwest Alabama. ACES and AAES personnel worked 6,700 man-hours, not includingtravel time.Table 3.Effort and Location Descriptions for the Five-Year Target Spot Investigation ProjectLocation YearsNo. oftrialsMan-hoursCentralE.V. Smith Field Crops Unit 2013–2016 14 938E.V. Smith Plant Breeding Unit 2013–2016 11 737Prattville Agricultural Research Unit 2013–2016 5 335NorthSand Mountain Research and ExtensionCenter2016 1 67Tennessee Valley Research and ExtensionCenter2013 2 134SoutheastWiregrass Research and Extension Center 2011, 2013–201611 737SouthwestBrewton Agricultural Research Unit 2012–2016 14 938Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center 2012–2016 33 2,211On-farm demonstrations 2012–2015 9 603Total 100 6,700Finally, we compiled and analyzed all the data, interpreted the results as a team, and then transferred thefindings to our stakeholders. Our results were rapidly communicated by ACES in a far-reaching approach thatincluded meetings with stakeholder committees, in-person contacts, on-farm tours, regional productionmeetings, and use of social media. The results were presented to scientists and producers at state and nationalconferences and published in ACES Timely Information fact sheets, the annual AAES cotton research bulletin,Commentary Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical JOE 55(5)©2017 Extension Journal Inc. 3abstracts, proceedings, refereed technical reports, and a peer-reviewed journal article (Table 4). We also madethe information available as social media content, including YouTube videos and Twitter alerts that highlightedTS diagnosis and management recommendations (Table 4).Table 4.Summary of Dissemination of Target Spot Management FindingsDissemination activity/channel No. PublisherAbstracts and proceedings 16 National Cotton CouncilTwitter posts 35 Alabama ExtensionWebinars 2 Alabama ExtensionVideos (YouTube) 4 Alabama and GeorgiaExtensionAlabama Cooperative Extension System TimelyInformation fact sheets10 Alabama ExtensionField tours 5 Regional and countyExtension personnelFoliar Disease of Cotton bulletin 1 Cotton IncorporatedNews articles 4 VariousPlant Disease Management Reports 16 AmericanPhytopathological SocietyRefereed journal article 1 PhytopathologyAlabama Crops website(http://www.alabamacrops.com)Alabama ExtensionTotal 94ImplicationsUsing our project as an example of teamwork and rapid response is helping us improve stakeholderunderstanding of and appreciation for ACES and the AAES. As has already been mentioned, it is critical forExtension to emphasize the amount of work supporting our recommendations and to make clear that ourresults are free from outside, market-driven influences. As we present our findings and describe the work thatwent into this project, we encounter both surprise and positive response with regard to the breadth and depthof our efforts. Perhaps, then, the most significant part of our project for Extension as a whole has beendemonstrating the importance of presenting an overall view of a project to our stakeholders. With anunderstanding of the amounts of time, effort, and money required to develop recommendations, fundingsources may be more compelled to support Extension programs. Although we knew we had done a tremendousamount of work on our project, it came as some surprise even to us when all aspects of the effort weredocumented. If this is the case for those who participate in an Extension effort, how much more important is itfor our stakeholders to be explicitly informed about these circumstances as well?Commentary Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical JOE 55(5)©2017 Extension Journal Inc. 4We carry the primary burden of informing others of the efforts routinely conducted by Extension researchersand educators if we are to remain critical to stakeholders in agriculture and other areas. In most states, thereexists a leadership stakeholder group that acts to steer policy and funding toward projects that impactmembers' interests. We have found that the likelihood of success, support, and appreciation for ACES andAAES efforts is greater when that group is brought into the decision-making process early in the initiation of aproject. It is easy to get sidetracked with project results such that mission drift occurs and the impact directlyto the stakeholders is never adequately communicated. Our experience has been that meeting with thestakeholder steering group in person with team members present is the best way to pass along findings andconvey the effort behind those results. This meeting between Extension, researchers, and the steering groupshould occur before the release of information to the general public. In this way, the steering group continuesto be part of the overall team and can be given appropriate credit among their peers so that their constituencywill support our efforts going forward.AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank the Extension agents, specialists, and AAES directors involved for their dedication andwork throughout the TS investigation project. These include Christy Hicks, ACES Agronomic Crops RegionalAgent; Dennis Delaney, ACES Agronomic Crops Specialist; Malcomb Pegues, director, Gulf Coast REC; andJarrod Jones, associate director, Gulf Coast REC.ReferencesBailey, N., Hill, A., & Arnold, S. (2014). Information-seeking practices of county Extension agents. Journal ofExtension, 52(3), Article 3RIB1. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2014june/rb1.phpBurt, L. (2006). Building an Extension information network: An Oregon agricultural case study. Journal ofExtension, 44(1), Article 1TOT7. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2006february/tt7.phpCullens, F. (2013). Finding accurate information on the Internet. Retrieved fromhttp://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/finding_accurate_information_on_the_internetGould, R., & Ham, G. (2002). The integration of research and extension: A preliminary study. Journal ofExtension, 40(4), Article 4FEA3. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/2002august/a3.phpHagan, A. K., Bowen, K. L., Pegues, M., & Jones, J. (2015). Relationship between target spot intensity andseed cotton yield. Phytopathology, 105(Suppl. 2), S2.4. Retrieved fromhttp://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PHYTO-105-4-S2.1Pounds, D. (1985). Putting Extension information where people will find it. Journal of Extension, 23(4), Article4FEA6. Available at: https://www.joe.org/joe/1985winter/a6.phpThe Discussion Forum for this Commentary can be found at:https://joe.org/joe/2017october/comm1.php#discussionCommentary Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical JOE 55(5)©2017 Extension Journal Inc. 5Copyright © by Extension Journal, Inc. ISSN 1077-5315. Articles appearing in the Journal become the propertyof the Journal. Single copies of articles may be reproduced in electronic or print form for use in educational ortraining activities. Inclusion of articles in other publications, electronic sources, or systematic large-scaledistribution may be done only with prior electronic or written permission of the Journal Editorial Office, joe-ed@joe.org.If you have difficulties viewing or printing this page, please contact JOE Technical SupportCommentary Emphasizing Extension's Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical JOE 55(5)©2017 Extension Journal Inc. 6

Emphasizing Extension\u27s Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical

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Emphasizing Extension\u27s Unbiased, Research-Based Recommendations Is Critical

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