Value and Limitations of on-Farm Research: A Crop Genetics Company Perspective.

On-farm trials can provide substantial value to crop genetics and agronomy research. Products and management practices can often be tested over a greater number and diversity of growing environments than would be practical for conventional research trials, and the collaborative engagement with growers can generate valuable insights for both the researcher and cooperator. However, conducting research within a system primarily designed for and focused on commercial agricultural productions imposes numerous limitations on experimental design and data collection. Simplicity and ease of execution are critical to cooperator buy-in and successful completion of a trial, which can greatly limit the scope of the research. Additionally, data quality and consistency are ongoing challenges with on-farm research that can limit its value and scalability. DuPont Pioneer has been actively involved in on-farm genetic and agronomic research for over 20 years. Several research projects that have included both a conventional and an on-farm component provide examples of how these two approaches can complement each other.