Comparative Assessment of Treatment Effects in Small-Plot Vs. Field-Scale Agronomy Trials.

Many farmer-led agronomy trials involve testing similar intensive management practices using a system approach on a field scale. However, field-scale trials are unable to test all possible combinations of these agronomic practices. To effectively test all combinations that can be subjected to standard statistical analyses, small-plot trials are required. No statistical procedure is currently available for comparison between trials at different scales. In this presentation, we will describe a spatial statistical procedure that allows for comparative assessment of treatment effects in small-plot vs. field-scale trials. The application of the procedure will be illustrated using small-plot and field-scale wheat and barley trials that have been carried out in Alberta, Canada.