Taking Advantage of Precision Ag Tools to Conduct On-Farm Trials.

Agronomic field studies are typically small plot trials conducted in research stations. This approach is the basis of the scientific agronomic knowledge and it is extremely valuable. However, this approach faces several challenges such as grower involvement and acceptance of results, spatial scale, equipment and management not representative of production field conditions, among others. Small plot on-farm trials also pose a serious challenge for researchers and cooperators as well.  The technologies associated with Precision Agriculture (GIS, GPS, yield monitors, variable rate applicators, etc) provide the tools to effectively take field trials to farmer´s fields, yet allowing for proper  replication, randomization and experimental design to  test complex hypothesis. This presentation will review the tools available for on-farm trials, discuss their benefits and limitations and present practical examples of their use in a research project that encompassed 74 trials conducted during 4 growing seasons on fields located from Indiana to Nebraska and from North Dakota to Illinois.