Truth Seekers Learn how to be involved in an RCFI trial. BY JOSEPH HOPPER
F
arming isn’t easy — every piece of ground is unique, and each farmer makes a living in their own way. At the Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI), the team works to further understand and share answers to farmers’ newest, burning questions. What does RCFI’s research look like in the real world? RCFI’s on-farm research trials are known as replicated strip trials — field experiments conducted by farmers and research staff, often taking place over several years. This research is conducted with a farmer’s regular equipment and in differing soil types, yield environments, and even above and below terraces. The focus of research can be just as broad from year to year. Typical replicated strip trial types include seeding rate, seed treatment, row spacing and in-furrow, studying things like manure usage in row crops, biological products and conservation at large — especially cover crops.
ISA Farmer Member Brent Bierbaum, who farms near Griswold, is a f requent collaborator with ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation. 18 | FEBRUARY 2022 | IASOYBEANS.COM
