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In the current competitive environment, members of the agriculture
community seek to maximize production in the face of rising costs,
an uncertain economy, and the vagaries of the environment including
weather, pests, and plant disease. CEI works with agriculture extension
faculty, ag business partners, and the general ag community to develop
web-based monitoring and decision support tools. By combining environmental
information and, in some cases, near-real time environmental observations
with predictive models, CEI creates information resources that supplement
the decision making process.
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Forages
www.forages.psu.edu
The forage industry is the major agricultural enterprise in Pennsylvania
and in the northeastern United States. Nearly 60% ($1.9 billion)
of the total cash receipts from the sale of agricultural products
in Pennsylvania is derived from meat and milk sales. In Pennsylvania
there are 720,000 milk cows, 216,000 beef cows, and 134,000 sheep.
Forage crops constitute the major feed component in the diet of
these animals, making forages the backbone of Pennsylvania's agriculture
and rural economy.
Pennsylvania is the tenth largest producer of hay in the United
States, producing 4.7 million tons of hay annually on nearly 2.1
million acres. Alfalfa is the state's largest single forage crop,
making up slightly over 800,000 acres and more than one-half of
the total hay production. Pastures make up over 3 million acres
of Pennsylvania forage production acreage.
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Pest Watch
www.pestwatch.psu.edu
Pestwatch is a northeastern regional view over space and time of
dynamic information useful for managing insects or diseases.
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Wheat Fusarium Head Blight
www.wheatscab.psu.edu
Fusarium head blight or head scab is caused by the fungus Fusarium
graminearum. The disease causes tremendous losses by reducing grain
yield and quality in many wheat production regions east of the Rocky
Mountains. The goal of this experimental predictive system is to
help growers assess the risk of Fusarium head blight in their region.
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Bt Evaluation Tool
www.cei.psu.edu/bt/
By combining crop and pest models, high-resolution weather prediction models,
and an economic analysis model into an easy-to-use web application, the Bt-corn
Evaluation Tool helps farmers make an informed decision about purchasing Bt corn.
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