In my work at Haifa's information center I need regularly search the internet for the most updated agronomy information. I found that using Google in these simple ways I can identify the needed information quickly:
Using precise search term: By using special words and phrases from the agronomic jargon I get more precise results. For example: Cocoa "foliar nutrition"
Excluding non-relevant words: By using the minus sign (-) it is possible to reduce the number of non-appropriate results (like garden hobby sites). Example: cucumber fertilizer recommendation -garden
Checking "google images": It is known that sometimes a picture worth a thousand words. When I search for information about plants special physiology situations I always go to google's "image tab" to see if I can find websites with pictures of the phenomena. Example: cucumber "nutrient deficiency" .
Search for specific site type: Using the operator site:.gov will bring results from governmental sites (might be an extension services site) and site:.edu will return only results from universities websites. Example: avocado "potassium nitrate" site:edu
Search for Specific file type: Using the operator filetype:pdf or filetype:ppt will bring in the results in the specific file type. Example: banana "crop guide" filetype:pdf
You can try these search phrases and change the crop name according to your needs, but the most important tip is to start the search in Haifa's knowledge center here, where you can find the most relevant information about crop fertilizing and plant nutrition.
