On-Farm Trials Guide Decisions

Each crop season, Chad Henderson and Stuart Sanderson turn more than 100 acres of the best land they farm into a giant test plot. And, like that famous scene out of the movie, "Field of Dreams," they have found that if they build it, other farmers will come to study and learn.

Over the past few years, Henderson Farms, located near Madison, Alabama, has partnered with XtremeAg to hold field days that explore farming practices, crop-management methods and the latest innovations.

"We've learned there's no better way to know what works on our farm than to test it on our farm," Sanderson explains. "There's not an input or a practice used here that we don't test first. Our goal is to maximize the potential of each seed by mitigating stress."

For example, they've been able to produce 250-bushel dryland corn by reducing planting populations to 22,000 seeds per acre and selecting for hybrids that flex, he notes. Another focus is whittling the average nitrogen unit-to-bushel ratio well below 1 unit per bushel while maintaining yield and still giving the plant what it needs.

Implementing on-farm trials can be overwhelming, notes Mark Licht, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension cropping specialist. Licht and Michael Witt, ISU agronomist in west-central Iowa, suggest farmers use the SEED method to help design trials that lead to practical results (see "Let SEED Be a Guide," below).

REPLICATE AND RANDOMIZE

Mississippi Delta farmer Adron Belk drew the line on product promises on Triple Run Farms, near Minter City, about eight years ago. "There are a lot of people out there selling inputs with claims that they yield 10 bushels (per acre) better. In years like we're having now with tight margins, it's easy to get caught up in wanting those products to work or become worried you are leaving ROI (return on investment) on the table by not using certain products," Belk says.

He values university trial data to help sort through claims. But, it is information gleaned from his own intensive replicated on-farm strip trials that provides honest assessment. "I put 75 to 80% of my farm in replicated trials each year. That's a level of information you aren't going to get from a 20-foot test plot," he explains.

Splitting fields or leaving a test strip isn't enough for Belk. "My fields aren't consistent enough for that. Take irrigation, for example. If you're doing half a field, did that half get watered before the other half? What difference did that timing make? It requires replication across many acres and scenarios to see patterns of what works and what doesn't," he says.

Belk has tested row patterns, populations, fertilizer placement and fertility levels. He's done compaction and tillage trials. This year, he's trialing aerial applications of ammonium sulfate in soybeans in cooperation with commercial client AdvanSix.

START WITH A PLAN

For farmers trying on-farm testing for the first time, Belk suggests starting with a replicated seed variety trial or a study that looks at seed population or seed treatments. "Those kinds of tests give you something visual to see," he says.

"Have a goal and plan months ahead of time for the best success," he recommends. "Most tractors have the technology to simplify establishing plots. The main thing is to go to the field with a plan and don't get behind inputting data as the season progresses."

Belk uses John Deere Operations Center for data management and hires a third party to help reconcile and analyze results. ROI for the current year and subsequent crops in the corn/soybean rotation is the bottom line, he says.

Let "SEED" Be a Guide:

A properly designed and executed on-farm trial should be simple enough to see results without feeling overwhelmed with added time and costs. The SEED system was developed by Iowa State University to get local answers to questions to improve profitability.

"S"imple questions:

-- Formulate a simple yes/no question with only one variable compared against a practice that is already being done. The more variables you have, the more opportunity for unclear results.
* Good practice: Does adding 25 pounds per acre of sulfur increase corn yields compared to no sulfur application in my field?
* Bad practice: Does adding 15, 25 or 35 pounds per acre of sulfur increase my corn yields across the field at 28,000, 32,000 and 36,000 seeds per acre seeding rates?

-- Randomize strips in the field to account for field variability to detect differences between variables.
* Good practice: Use three strips of variable A alternating with three strips of variable B (grower's standard practice) as the control strips.
* Bad practice: Plant trial by splitting a field in half or adding one treatment to a whole field without leaving three or more check strips for comparison.

"E"quipment available:

-- Utilize your own equipment to make operations easier. Consider the operational width of all equipment when determining strip width size.
* Good practice: Plant two soybean varieties at a 16-row (40- foot) width and harvest with a platform width of 40 feet.
* Bad practice: UAV-spray a fungicide with an eight-row (20-foot) coverage width and harvest with a 12-row (30-foot) corn head width.

-- Use technology to assist in collecting data.
* Guidance systems allow easier determination of correct strip locations.
* Use of display monitors and preloaded prescriptions in tractors help seamlessly implement on-farm trials.
* Combine yield monitors and grain cart load cells provide accurate harvest data.

"E"valuate information:

-- Take in-field notes and observations throughout the growing season.
* Note weather events, equipment or application errors, and plant health that can bias data.

-- Analyze data using statistics.
* Number comparisons may indicate yield or profit differences but often do not factor in variance from one field strip to another.
* Statistics determine if variations are attributed to the on-farm trial or to uncontrollable factors such as soil variation, weed pressure or moisture availability.

-- Conduct a complete statistical analysis to determine grain yield differences as well as return-on-investment (ROI) differences.
* An ROI should factor in the cost of product, application and labor along with commodity price.
* Universities, commodity organizations and industry resources are available to assist farmers in getting the answers.

"D"eliver results:

-- Use the data to make a decision on your operation.
* Data that shows no statistical differences is just as valuable as data with large statistical differences and could save farmers thousands of dollars.
* Share your local data or experiences with others to spur conversations that drive the next round of on-farm trials.

**

More resources:

-- Nebraska On-Farm Research Network https://on-farm-research.unl.edu/…

-- More on Iowa's SEED method https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/…

-- Follow the latest from Pamela Smith, Senior Crops Editor, by visiting the Production Blogs at https://www.dtnpf.com/… or following her on social platform X @PamSmithDTN

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