Investigating the Role of Perceptions about Drought Information and Forecast Accuracy in Midwest Rainfed Agricultural Decision Making

Effective use of drought forecasts is critical for farmers to make well-informed decisions. Despite the tremendous efforts to improve the quality, applicability, and delivery of drought forecasts in recent years, many farmers do not utilize drought forecast information provided by NOAA and others, especially in the Midwest.

This project, led by researchers at the University of Illinois and funded by NIDIS, used a focus group study, one-on-one interviews with farmers, and surveys to advance our understanding of farmers' current attitudes towards and response to drought forecast information. This project provided recommendations to NOAA and others to improve the use of forecast information by farmers.