On-Farm Experimentation

The Challenge

Grain farmers have access to large amounts of their own data, are aware of its value but are often unable to realise it. While digital technologies and data management systems offer great promise for the future of on-farm decision making, there are many barriers to adoption, including the digital divide.

As such, many farmers make management decisions based on strip trials and yield monitor data. Growers have trialled altering input rates or frequencies for specific plots, but have lacked the means to precisely analyse the data that comes from these trials, which does not account for the spatial variability of crop production.

The Outcomes

Farmers, agronomists, researchers, and technologists worked hand-in-hand in this three-year project to develop grower-driven experimentation and test the On-Farm Experimentation Platform. The OFE Platform, developed by NGIS, uses new spatial analytics methods that help farmers translate outcomes from experiments on small plots across the paddock to maximise return on investment for fertiliser.

Using this platform, team supported farmers to run 50 paddock-scale trials focussing mostly on fertiliser inputs. This provided an estimate on the return on investment of input costs and seasonal risk, giving farmers and their agronomists greater confidence to implement new fertiliser strategies.

Impact

• The grains industry will be able to undertake trials with minimum input from specialist researchers through the adoption of the OFE Platform
• The partnership between researchers and industry has confirmed interest in using on-farm experimentation in conjunction with robust statistical analysis to reduce the risks associated with on-farm innovation.

Project Updates

September 2022 - Final Report: On-Farm Experimentation

September 2022 - Booklet: Grower Case Studies

June 2021 - FACRC Research Symposium: A/Prof Julia Easton, Curtin University‍