Helping farmers experiment with biologicals by adding data layers

While the nitrogen (N) cost for maize fertilization increases, new products, such as biologicals, may offer a cheaper and more sustainable alternative as an N source. Before applying a biological to their entire farm, farmers are eager to learn whether a product works for them. Based on the biological company?s suggestions, the experimentation process consists of reducing the N rate by forty units in areas treated with biologicals and applying a full rate of N in the control area. If no difference is observed, this would indicate that the product works. This design leaves little room for interpretation for farmers looking at yield. A group of scientists from Cornell University proposed supporting their experimentation by collecting additional information, such as a crop?s N status and the presence of the biological organism in the soil. The results of this current study showed that yield alone could not have provided a clear answer, and that this partnership between farmers and scientists proved beneficial in the farmers? learning process.