St. Paul, Minn. (August 21, 2009)—High-quality research plays an important role in boosting yield and profitability on the farm, yet many lack the background or training to benefit from it. Through its webcasted On-Farm Research Conference, Iowa State University (ISU) helps give consultants, growers, and other agricultural professionals the knowledge to complete, recognize, and understand scientifically sound crop production research. Project organizers designed the conference to give growers and agriculture professionals another tool in farming decisions.
“Many growers and agribusinesses are inundated with data, which they use to make critical decisions about production practices,” said Daren Mueller, ISU extension specialist and lead organizer of the event. “We want them to be able to recognize and understand scientifically sound crop production research that will help promote wise crop production and protection decisions, which is an integral goal of integrated pest management.”
The webcasts cover three main subject areas: the basics of on-farm research design, data collection methods, and ways to improve data quality. Speakers include faculty and extension staff from ISU, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Current presentation titles include:
Planning an Experiment
How to Improve Chances of a Successful Trial
Tools for Conducting On-Farm Research
Soil Fertility On-Farm Research Methods and Measurements
Basics of Data Collection
Managing Data in On-Farm Research
Collecting Agronomic Production Data
Weather/Climate Information for Agricultural Research
Economics and On-Farm Research
Instrumentation, Sample, and Data Handling
All of the presentations can be found on the Plant Management Network, a nonprofit online publisher of science-based agricultural and horticultural information. The presentations are specifically located at www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/onfarm.
The “Planning an Experiment” webcast is freely accessible for all. The other webcasts can be accessed by staff and students of the Plant Management Network’s partnering universities and companies, and by current individual subscribers. Others must subscribe for an annual fee ranging from $38 to $45. Subscription provides unlimited access to all of the Plant Management Network’s eleven online crop protection and production resources. To subscribe or learn more, visit www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/subscriptions.
“The site will allow people to learn what it takes to organize and conduct scientifically valid on-farm research,” said Mueller. The On-Farm Research Conference was funded jointly by Iowa State University’s Corn and Soybean Initiative, and the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center.
About the Plant Management Network
Plant Management Network, www.plantmanagementnetwork.org, is a cooperative not-for-profit resource for the applied agricultural and horticultural sciences. Its mission is to enhance the health, management, and production of agricultural and horticultural crops. Together with its industry, university, and nonprofit partners, PMN provides plant practitioners fast electronic access to science-based solutions. PMN offers four science-based applied journals, field trial publications, webcasts, industry news, and targeted search engines that yield thousands of credible web-based resources.
About the Corn & Soybean Initiative
The Iowa State University Corn and Soybean Initiative is an education-based organization whose mission is to provide science-based crop production information to Iowa corn and soybean growers and their advisors to increase their productivity and global competitiveness while also conserving the environment. Contact: Phil Bogdan: +1.651.994.3859, or by email
