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A computerized relational database is an efficient and powerful way to store, retrieve, query, and manipulate data. Databases have been prevalent in the scientific community for several years but, recently, have become more immediately available. Personal computers and local area networks (LAN) have revolutionized the accessibility of shared data. At the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Station, a database has been created to streamline the entry and recovery of data for the breeding program using Microsoft (MS) Access 2000, a readily available and inexpensive product, which makes it highly adaptable to a variety of breeding programs. Data collection from the sugarcane breeding program has previously consisted of field books and separate computer files. This method of documentation can lead to errors and lost data, therefore a multi-user database was needed to avoid continued problems in data handling. Data entry is performed though a series of self-explanatory forms. Once entered, data can be accessed through the LAN and easily sorted or grouped as desired or queried for items of interest. Reports can then be output as a means of storing important hard copy records. Data from stage I and stage II (the first two clonally propagated selection stages) of the breeding program have currently been included in the database, as well as the seedling stage (true seed planting). Future plans are to incorporate data from stage III and IV (the final two clonally propagated selection stages). The database also handles the Canal Point breeding collection inventory, crossing information, seed (fuzz) inventory, and pedigree tracking. This type of database has widely applicable properties that can be implemented to handle data for any crop, either agronomic or horticultural.
Webinars have become an important aspect of many extension outreach programs, especially for large research projects that cover wide geographic regions. Evaluation of webinar impact is important to funders and stakeholders alike. Surveys to gather direct and indirect data can be used to evaluate webinars for their overall utility. The results can inform funders of program success and also serve as an indicator of the continued viability of webinar programming for extension audiences. The Northern Grapes Project administered a webinar series on topics related to grape (Vitis sp.) and wine production from 2012 through 2016. Thirty webinars were delivered to an audience of 3083, with nearly an additional 2400 views of recorded webinars. To estimate the value of the series, we modified two models, one that estimated viewer time investment and one that calculated the “green savings.” In addition, we surveyed webinar participants, asking them how much they would pay to watch a live webinar and access the archives, as well as how much money they had earned and/or saved from the information presented. Together, the models and survey indicated a webinar series value of nearly $3.4 million.