How do I successfully implement on-farm research?

Implementing on-farm researchSo, you’ve decided to do on-farm research. Now what?  How do you select the site, design the experiment protocol, measure and collect the data, and analyze the data? Need resources along the way? Check out the resources below for all the information you need to succeed.

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Field ExperimentsSample OFR ProtocolsMeasurement and Data GatheringCollecting and Analyzing Data

University of Nebraska Grower’s Guide to On-Farm Research

How to Develop an On-Farm Research Project – 10 Step Process.  Pages 6-9 of North Central SARE How to Conduct Research on Your Farm or Ranch

Farmer/Farm Information Data Sheets

Randomized complete block design involves random assignment of an untreated check strip and one or more treatments.  These procedures are critical to improving the power of the conclusions drawn. It is our recommendation that randomized design be followed for all on-farm research.

Soil Sampling Protocols

Soil Quality Tests

Measuring Yield

Collecting Data

University of Nebraska Grower’s Guide to On-Farm Research

University of Nebraska’s Precision Ag Data Management on-line course for on-farm research planning and data collection

Analyzing Data

Ohio State’s Statistics and Agricultural Research fact sheet (review of statistics concepts for the Extension professional),  Degrees of Freedom Calculator (excel spreadsheet) and Data Analysis Tool (excel spreadsheet).

Understanding the Least Significant Difference From Understanding Ag Research Tool Package for Extension Educators (4 minutes)
Fact Sheet: What Do You Mean 5 Bushels an Acre is Not Significant?

Iowa Soybean Association’s Guide to On-Farm Replicated Strip Trials

  • How to use on-farm data (page 38)

University of Minnesota’s On-Farm Research: Interpreting the Results of Your Experiment, starts on page 4.

University of Minnesota’s Excel spreadsheet for analyzing two or three treatments.