Designing and conducting on - farm crop trials

Designing and conducting on - farm crop trials FB12 Farmers, advisors, and researchers interested in designing applied on-farm trials in arable systems to evaluate new practices or technologies and make informed, evidence-based decisions. The course will be valuable for anyone looking to develop or carry out an ADOPT project An intermediate course best suited to those who are able to demonstrate some practical experience A half day online course TBC David Clarke, Soils and Farming Systems Specialist and Joseph Martlew, Research Agronomist, Niab

Classroom module 1 (half day) –

•    ADOPT and other funding streams  
•    Hypothesis setting - defining clear, testable questions 
•    Selecting controls - ensuring reliable comparisons 
•    Trial locations - minimising confounding variability and testing across space 
•    Trial design - strips, replicated blocks, randomised plots or chessboard 
•    Measurements and monitoring of plots  
•    Statistics and significance testing  
•    Knowledge exchange and results sharing 

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

•    Explain the key principles of designing scientifically valid and practical on-farm trials 
•    Define clear objectives for on-farm crop trials aligned with farm goals or project aims  
•    Design scientifically valid and practical on-farm trials that account for variability and ensure reliable results 
•    Select appropriate methods for data collection, monitoring, and evaluation 
•    Apply basic analysis techniques to interpret trial results and inform decision-making