War Against Weeds
Project Director: Sarah Lancaster, Kansas State University
Managing herbicide resistant weeds requires effective, timely communication of research-based information to farmers and agronomists. However, traditional outreach methods are less effective in light of changing preferences. Podcasts have become popular in American society and have proven to be effective at conveying information in a number of fields, but have not been examined in the area of pest management. This proposal seeks to form a working group that will develop and disseminate a podcast called "War Against Weeds" that will share current, relevant information related to integrated weed management. Specifically, 30 full-length podcasts will be recorded and shared along with approximately 15 shorter podcasts; podcast listeners and other Extension clientele will be surveyed to determine the effectiveness of podcasts for information dissemination; and podcasting experiences and survey results will be shared with other IPM professionals. The podcast will target farmers and other agricultural professionals throughout the North Central region. The information provided will increase listeners' knowledge and willingness to adopt effective integrated weed management strategies. In addition, providing evidence to support the adoption of new communication technologies will support the adoption of new communication methods in other outreach programs.
Achievements
- 3 years of War Against Weeds Podcast episodes are complete with over 16,000 downloads
You can listen or subscribe to the War Against Weeds Podcast here.