Farmers also can use a wide variety of computer software programs to help them comply with nutrient management regulations, which take effect in October. Many animal operations will have to prepare a nutrient management plan that includes the acreage available for crop production, a summary of nutrients available from manure and other sources, application methods, and many other pieces of information. "The plan has up to 200 elements and will require repetitive calculations," explains Peter Bohn, research associate in agronomy, who developed the Penn State Nutrient Management Program. "Our software program helps producers estimate manure resources, field and crop requirements, and other factors and generates reports covering nutrient balance and other key aspects of the management plans. The software will ease the record-keeping burden and help farmers, consultants, nutrient management planners, and conservation districts to develop management plans."

Lynn Hoffman, who manages the College's agronomy research farm, uses a GPS receiver mounted on the back of a pickup truck to determine the location of soil samples.

Bohn uses the Internet, an electronic network connecting millions of computers around the world, to disseminate information about the program and nutrient management workshops being held throughout the state. Internet users can send electronic mail, or e-mail, to other users; transfer files to and from other computers; participate in on-line discussions; and more. Bohn makes nutrient management information available through the World Wide Web, the fastest-growing Internet service, which provides a network of interactive documents that can incorporate text, pictures, sound, animation, and video, as well as links to other documents. "The Web has incredible potential as a teaching tool," Bohn says. "It's a great medium for sharing newsletters, sample nutrient plans, and tutorials with producers. Already, about 15 percent of our workshop participants register through the Web, and that number will increase as more producers start using the Internet. It's quickly becoming an important component of our nutrient management education effort."

The Internet opens new avenues for farmers to learn about technological developments and new products and get management ideas. While the sheer volume of material available through the Internet is difficult for a single person to monitor, extension agents can help busy farmers reap the benefits of this information explosion. In the past year, Penn State Cooperative Extension has used the Internet to reach dairy farmers in western Pennsylvania via e-mail. "To explore the use of computer networks in our educational program, we gave 40 dairy producers in western Pennsylvania e-mail accounts," says Gary Sheppard, extension agent in Westmoreland County, who established the West Dairy Producers Network with agents in Crawford, Erie, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, and Somerset Counties and technical assistance from the College's computer services unit. The effort has evolved into a very active network of 56 producers who are using e-mail to ask other farmers questions and share insights about the dairy business in western Pennsylvania. The extension agents make sure the producers have quick access to research-based information. "My colleagues and I monitor Internet discussion groups focusing on dairy management, veterinary medicine, grazing, and other topics of interest," Sheppard explains. "We send important items to the producers on the network." The forum also provides opportunities for farmers to benefit from cooperative ventures. "Large farms have tremendous buying power," says Sheppard. "By banding together, smaller operations that need the same supplies can have this buying power too. For instance, our e-mail network makes it easy for a farmer to ask others in the group if they want to split a tractor-trailer load of seed."

Louie Diamond, a dairy producer who farms about 380 acres in Masontown and manages a 155-cow herd, logs on to the system almost daily. "Last year, I asked for advice about some cows with udder problems and I quickly got helpful suggestions from other farmers and extension specialists," says Diamond, who earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural science from Penn State in 1984. "I've used e-mail to negotiate with another farmer about sharing a part-time employee, and I've found that the market reports and other information provided by the extension agents are very helpful. I think the network will be even more beneficial as more producers begin using it."

Some farmers are using the Internet to advertise their business and attract customers. When the owners of Crown Farms, a ranch in western Pennsylvania that raises Scottish Highlander cattle, decided to establish a gourmet steak operation, they used the World Wide Web to create a company image and raise awareness of its products. Their Web site includes the Crown Farms logo, photographs of the farm and its cattle, a history of the Scottish Highlander breed, and a "virtual butcher shop," where visitors can view and order steaks and other cuts on-line. "About 15 to 20 percent of our customers find us on-line, and we receive e-mail from people all over the world," says Tom Anderson, president of Crown Farms Estate Beef. "The site soon will include a recipe section and links to Web pages set up by other farms that supply meat for our retail business."

Computers also have enormous potential to help producers grow crops more efficiently. In combination with other electronic devices, farmers can use computers to manage their fields with pinpoint accuracy. They can map conditions within a field, then use that information to apply fertilizers and other inputs only where they are needed. "Within 10 years, precision agriculture systems will be standard equipment on combines and tractors," says entomologist Dennis Calvin. "These systems will allow farmers to manage crops on a much finer scale. Decisions used to be made for an entire field. Soon farmers will be able to map out weed or insect problems while traveling through a field in a combine, then come back and spot-treat them. Computers in the combine will automatically turn on pesticide applicators in trouble spots without treating the rest of the field."