WebGro: A web-based soybean management decision support system

Abstract

WebGro is a web-based soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] decision support system built on the CROPGRO-Soybean model. The purpose of WebGro is to help soybean producers in the midwestern United States understand how different stresses interact to limit soybean yield in their fields. Stresses include water, soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines), herbicide injury, Rhizoctonia root rot disease (Rhizoctonia solani), and hail damage. The user can set up a field scenario by selecting cultivar, planting date, plant population, soil type, and the nearest weather station using a web form. Different stress levels can then be entered, and the model can be run interactively by simulating the effects of one or more stresses at a time. A summary table of model simulations is generated and presented onscreen allowing users to examine individual and combined effects of plant stresses. The results are stored on the server, thus allowing the users to view these results in another session. WebGro also offers interactive graphical output that lets users view daily changes in soybean biomass weight for a specific field or scenario. WebGro is available at http:// webgro.ae.iastate.edu.