Toolbox

Components

Questionnaire

The Questionnaires are used to gather information at the farm level. They provide a clear framework to collect farm management information in a relatively short time.

• These questionnaires have been based on years of experience and field testing in several countries in Africa and Asia. They provide the flexibility which is needed to monitor a wide-range of diverse and complex farms.
  
• The data are obtained through semi-structured interviews. In a few projects we started to work quite successfully with self-recording by farmers.
  
• 1-2 hr required per farm per session, depending on farm complexity, experience and the required level of detail.
  
• The questionnaire is split-up in two parts:
  
  
  • A farm inventory, which is done once every year, to record the structure of a farming system.
  • A farm monitoring part, most often implemented at regular intervals (once per month or once in six months), to record how a farm household manage their farm.
    

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Data Entry Module

The Data Entry Module (DEM) is used to enter the data, which were collected during the Farm Inventory and Farm Monitoring, into the farm database.

• Enter the data from the questionnaire into the farm database through an interface that resembles the original questionnaire forms. This facilitates the data-entry process as enumerators will easily recognize the structure.
  
• Divided in two separate parts for the inventory and the monitoring forms.
  
• Contains an additional flow check form to compare similar flows, among different farms. This feature is very helpful in check and ensure the quality of the data-entry input.
  
• No codes are used: all items are entered through drop-down boxes.
  

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Background Data Module

With the Background Data Module (BDM) software, users are enabled to maintain there background database and produce reports with all the values which were used the calculations of nutrient flows, balances and financial indicators.

• Manage all background (or secondary) data required by NUTMON
  
• Extend the basic background database with your own situation specific items and values.
  
• Use default values (for most properties) as provided in the original database and overrule these data when better, situation specific values are available.
  
• Print reports of all background data for verification, documentation and transparency
  

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Data Processing Module

The Data Processing Module (DPM) processes the information as stored in the two NUTMON databases, performs the model calculations and prepares the results for presentations and export to other software such as MS Excel, MS Word and SPSS.

• Processes data for one or more farms in a single action.
  
• Produces as main outputs: .: nutrient flows and balances (N, P, and K) for the farm as a whole and for the various nutrient pools (crops, livestock, manure heaps, et cetera) within the farm.
  
• financial indicators (gross margins and cash flows) for the farm as a whole and for the units within the farm
  
• overviews of the flows (material, nutrients and money) between the units within the farm.

Allows the user to set options and parameter values for the NUTMON model and presentation of results.
Displays errors messages for each separate farm to help the user to improve the data quality.
Provides debug information to help the user to solve problems.
Produces a HTML format farm report for user-selected topics and results
Shows the results in a variety of ways among which bar graphs, tables, flow matrices and resrource flow maps.
Gives the user the possibility to export selected results to HTML, CSV and DBase format.
Has an easy-to-use user interface

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Background database

A Background Database containing non-farm specific information on, for instance, nutrient contents of crops, fertilizers, animal products, crop and livestock parameters, as well as calibration factors of local units of measurement. The NUTMON-Toolbox comes with a Background Database that contains this information as derived from previous NUTMON studies and literature reviews.

• MS Access database
  
• Information (N,P, K and dry matter values) for more then 260 different crop products, 26 animal products, 30 animal inputs, 50 fertilizers, etc.
• Information about 229 different crops and 16 different animals
• Possibility to add your own crops, fertilizers, pesticides, farm equipment etc.

Farm Database

A Farm Database in which the farm-specific information is stored. One Farm Database often contains information on a set of farms which are part of one study.

• MS Access database
• Stores all information of individual farms such as: household member information, equipment possessed by the farm, soil sample information, off-farm income, all inputs (labour, fertilizers, pesticides etc.) used on each plot for each animal on a specific date, all outputs on specific dates from all plots and animals etc.