Useful to Usable (U2U): Transforming Climate Variability and Change Information for Cereal Crop Producers, was a USDA-funded research and extension project designed to improve the resilience and profitability of U.S. farms in the Corn Belt amid a changing climate. Over a six-year period from April 2011 - April 2017, 122 faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students from ten Midwestern universities contributed to this interdisciplinary project. Our team integrated expertise in applied climatology, crop modeling, agronomy, cyber-technology, agricultural economics, sociology, Extension and outreach, communication, and marketing to improve the use and uptake of climate information for agricultural decision making. Together, and with members of the agricultural community, we developed a series of decision support tools, resource materials, and training methods to support data-driven decision making and the adoption of climate-resilient practices.

OBJECTIVES

1. Use existing data and models to understand the impact of climate and management scenarios on crop productivity and profitability.
2. Understand the use and value of climate information for agricultural decision making, and determine effective methods for disseminating usable climate knowledge.
3. Develop tools, training materials, and implementation approaches that lead to more effective decision making and the adoptions of climate-resilient farm practices.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of decision support tools and materials in four pilot states, refining resources as needed based on stakeholder feedback.
5. Broadly disseminate validated decision support resources and extension programs across the Corn Belt.