3 Reasons to Participate in a Strip Trial

BY CAROL BROWN

Some farmers seem to have the upper hand when it comes to agricultural endeavors. Getting the upper hand mainly comes from experience or trial and error.

Some farmers do both by participating with the Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) On-Farm Network® strip trials. In this space, farmers can try new products or practices to make sure they work with their operation before committing wholly.

On-Farm Network Director Scott Nelson (left) and his team work with farmers and agribusiness representatives to test products, machinery and practices at the field scale on farms across the state.

Photo: Joseph L. Murphy/Iowa Soybean Association

“The On-Farm Network has many opportunities for farmers to participate. The top three reasons farmers should do strip trials are — access to the newest technologies, contributing to the competitiveness of Iowa’s crop production and learning something new about your farm,” says Scott Nelson, On-Farm Network director. He makes a case for each:

1: GAIN ACCESS TO THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGIES

Each year, various agribusinesses provide On-Farm Network participants with samples of their products for independent verification on their value. Products have included new fertilizers, crop protection and digital ag technologies.

“Our team cannot test every new product or concept being introduced into the market,” Nelson says. “The new products and technologies we test go through significant scrutiny. We only include those that have scientific merit as determined by our team.” Participating in strip trials gives farmers firsthand experience with the newest technologies for their operation improvement.

Doug Gronau has been conducting on-farm strip trials with ISA for years. The Vail farmer uses the trials to find new products but also to affirm that he’s doing the right thing on his land.

“With the on-farm trials, I have to figure out if the products have validity on my farm,” Gronau says. “If they don’t show they’re worth the money, then I know I don’t have to pursue them. There’s always going to be something new out there that may work on my farm. It’s just a question of finding it.”

2: CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMPETITIVENESS OF IOWA CROP PRODUCTION

Some of Iowa’s crop production challenges are too large for any farmer to solve by themselves. Issues, such as lowering production costs, new pests, including soybean gall midge, and variable rate technology require more data than can be collected from a single farm. Partnering farmers in the same region provide ISA with enough data to develop decision aids and better predict the value of new management practices.

Radcliffe farmer Denny Friest also has conducted many strip trials over the years. He believes in the value of learning how things work on his farm.

Denny Friest, Radcliffe

Photo: Joseph L. Murphy/Iowa Soybean Association

“As farmers, we have a lot of tools but they aren’t the same on every farm,” Friest says. “Using our tools with the data we have will show how practices work for my farm. To avoid unnecessary regulations, we must also show examples of how conservation practices work.”

3: LEARN SOMETHING NEW ABOUT YOUR FARM

Sometimes a new management practice will show a statistical advantage on a farm, and sometimes it shows there was no benefit for the practice.

For example, participants who conduct variable rate technology projects can see new approaches to developing management zones. They receive aerial images for each trial field, which provides meaningful information about field variability. Farmers can use this data to adjust seeding or application rates within that field in subsequent seasons.

“Farmers who conduct strip trials with us almost always learn something new about their farm regardless of the results from the trial,” Nelson says.

Gronau learned about his equipment during a field trial last fall. He worked with the On-Farm Network on a side-by-side comparison of a Draper head compared with Gronau’s soybean combine head.

“The guys were out there checking losses from both heads, and they basically found no difference,” Gronau explains. “It was really beneficial to me to know that my equipment is working well and I’m not leaving beans in the field. I know there’s a lot of advantages to the Draper heads, but this showed I’m doing alright.”

Interested in participating?

Farmers who participate in strip trials or pest surveys receive a custom report on the activities on their farm as well as a summary of results from other farms participating in the study. As per ISA’s data privacy policy, all spatial data is considered confidential between the participating partner and ISA. This data is not released to outside parties without the consent of the farmer.

“The On-Farm Network is always looking for ideas from farmers as they are often the best innovators in agriculture,” concludes Nelson. “We look forward to helping them test and verify their ideas.”

To participate in a strip trial or pest survey, email research@iasoybeans.com.