Assessing on-farm experimentation value propositions, processes, and principles: A Norwegian pasture case study

This paper provides a succinct methodology for reporting on the On-Farm Experimentation (OFE) initiatives used here for a Norwegian case study that investigated machinery improvements for pasture soils. This study was based on 10 interviews with the main participants. These were from a local machinery company, a technology start-up, Norway?s major agricultural research institution, a large agronomic services provider, and the farmers who hosted experiments. The results include (i) a breakdown of expected value propositions with points of contention, (ii) strengths and weaknesses of the processes involved, and (iii) scoring against the six major OFE principles. We discuss how this OFE project exemplifies key global issues in research practice calling for new agronomy, and we argue that room for exchanges must be made within projects to achieve farmer-centricity and solve enduring issues; however, beyond any individual effort or process fault, constraints lie with scientific institutional settings that do not incentivize researchers to conduct farmer-centric research.