About.

Purpose

Agricultural Operations Planning Tool (AgOPT) is a web-based tool intended for farmers to assist them in planning for fertilizer, manure, or pesticide applications in their fields. The three-day forecasts provided are based on daily weather data downloaded from the National Weather Service (NWS). The first date shown in the maps is actual data from the NWS while the next three days are forecast data, upon which the agricultural advisories are based.

AgOPT aims to:

  • Provide a user- and device-friendly tool. The tool can be used in desktops, laptops, and tablets. Although not recommended, the tool may also be viewed in smartphones.
  • Provide agricultural forecasts for surface runoff and field moisture.
  • Assist in forecasting the appropriate time to apply fertilizers, manure, or pesticides on the field.

How to use the tool

To use the tool, users need to enable pop-ups, JavaScript, and cookies in the web browser. The tool is activated by first selecting the type of event. There are three events covered in the tool:

  • Precipitation - forecast is available for the next three days.
  • Plant Available Moisture - measured in inches in the top foot of soil.
  • Surface Runoff - forecast for the next three days and advisory for applying fertilizers, manure, or pesticides.

An option to reset the map to its nationwide extent enables users to re-center the map if it goes out of view.

Clicking directly on the map enables users to make both state and county selections without using the dropdownlists on the left panel.

Ackowledgement

We wish to acknowledge the following for the images we used in this website:

    Background photo by Dave Updegraff.

    Shaded relief map of the USA by Honolulu Community College.