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REVIEW

Statistical aspects of on-farm experimentation

Hans-Peter Piepho A F , Christel Richter B , Joachim Spilke C , Karin Hartung A , Arndt Kunick D and Heinrich Thöle E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A University of Hohenheim, Institute of Crop Science, Fruwirthstrasse 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.

B Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture, Department of Crop and Animal Sciences, 10115 Berlin, Germany.

C Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Biometrics and Informatics in Agriculture Group, Karl-Freiherr-von-Fritsch-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.

D Agri Con GmbH, Precision Farming Company, Im Wiesengrund 4, 04749 Jahna, Germany.

E Julius-Kühn-Institut, Institute for Biosafety of Genetically Modified Plants, Messeweg 11712, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany.

F Corresponding author. Email: piepho@uni-hohenheim.de

Crop and Pasture Science 62(9) 721-735 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP11175
Submitted: 8 July 2011  Accepted: 2 September 2011   Published: 10 November 2011

Abstract

This paper reviews options for the design and analysis of on-farm experiments. It covers both older approaches that have been popular since the Green Revolution, and more recent developments made possible by the availability of online monitoring systems as used in precision farming. The roles of randomisation as well as of geostatistical methods of analysis for these kinds of experiments are critically discussed. Two case studies are provided for illustration.

Additional keywords: geostatistics, kriging, precision agriculture, precision farming, spatial statistics.


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