www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch basic-statistical-analysis-for-on-farm-research profile-clarissa-mathews-redbud-farm Profile: Clarissa Mathews, Redbud Farm Integrated Trap Crop and Pheromone Trap System for Organic Management of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Photo by Clarissa Mathews Like many farmers in the United States, Clarissa Mathews is striving to manage the brown marmorated stink bug on her 50-acre farm in West Virginia. This stink bug feeds on a wide range of crops and […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch basic-statistical-analysis-for-on-farm-research using-the-t-test-to-compare-two-treatments Using the t-Test to Compare Two Treatments The following is adapted and reprinted from A Field Guide for On-Farm Research Experiments (March 2004). Keith R. Baldwin, Ph.D. Horticulture Specialist. Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina. Used by permission. To evaluate the statistics for a paired comparison, you will need a calculator that can give you the […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch basic-statistical-analysis-for-on-farm-research non-parametric-statistics-what-if-my-data-does-not-follow-a-normal-distribution Non-Parametric Statistics: What if My Data Does Not Follow a Normal Distribution? Although most on-farm research deals with data that follows a roughly normal distribution, some types of field data are not normally distributed. For example, the distribution of agricultural pest populations in an orchard may not be spread uniformly across the field but rather occur in clumps, due to any number of influences. Other data that […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch basic-statistical-analysis-for-on-farm-research stats-for-randomized-complete-block-and-split-plot-designs Stats for Randomized Complete Block and Split-Plot Designs For on-farm research projects comparing three or more treatments, a more complex analysis is required than the t-test. You could potentially compare your treatments two at a time using the t-test. For example, in an experiment with three treatments, you could calculate the LSD to compare treatment one and treatment two, two and three, and […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch basics-of-experimental-design common-research-designs-for-farmers Common Research Designs for Farmers Completely Randomized Design The completely randomized design works best in tightly controlled situations and very uniform conditions. A farmer wants to study the effects of four different fertilizers (A, B, C, D) on corn productivity. Three replicates of each treatment are assigned randomly to 12 plots. The simplest experimental layout is a completely randomized design […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch how-to-develop-an-on-farm-research-project profile-steve-groff-cedar-meadow-farm Profile: Steve Groff, Cedar Meadow Farm Tomato Grafting for Management of Verticillium Wilt in High Tunnels Note: This profile presents a true example of the kinds of problems that can arise in an on-farm research project. In this case, plots were not established correctly in year one, so while the generated data was sound, it was limited in its application. Good […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch how-to-develop-an-on-farm-research-project the-process The Process Following these 10 steps will help you develop a successful on-farm research project. Identify your research question and objective. Develop a research hypothesis. Decide what you will measure and what data you will collect. Develop an experimental design. Choose the location and map out your field plots. Implement the project. Make observations and keep records […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch introduction-6 tom-trantham-12-aprils-dairy Tom Trantham, 12 Aprils Dairy On-Farm Research Answers Key Questions While Making the Switch to a Pasture-Based Dairy System Although Tom Trantham was one of South Carolina’s top dairy producers back in the 1980s, his business, 12 Aprils Dairy, was struggling. He ran a typical confined feeding operation and his feed bill alone ate up 65 percent of his gross […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch introduction-6 a-realistic-view A Realistic View Wheat farmers and Montana State University researchers partnered to conduct on-farm research looking at practices to reduce ammonia gas emissions from surface-applied nitrogen fertilizer. Among their findings was that the soil disturbance created by air-drill seeders was not sufficient to mitigate ammonia loss (right) compared to no till (left). Courtesy Montana State University On-farm research can […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch resources-11 Resources On-Farm Research On-Farm Trials for Farmers Using the Randomized Complete Block Design. Phil Rzewnicki, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. 1992. On-Farm Research Guide. Jane Sooby. Organic Farming Research Foundation. 2001. On Farm Research Guide. Sharon Rempel. Published by The Garden Institute of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 2002. On-Farm Testing: A Grower’s Guide. Baird Miller, Ed […]