All for One and One for All: A Simulation Assessment of the Economic Value of Large-Scale On-Farm Experiment Network

While on-farm experiments offer invaluable insights for precision management decisions, their scope is usually confined to the specific conditions of individual farms and years, which limits the derivation of more broad and reliable decisions. To address this limitation, aggregating data from multiple farms into a comprehensive dataset appears promising. However, the quantifiable value of this experiment network remains elusive, despite the common agreement of the existence of this value. This study conducted a simulation-based assessment of the economic value of large-scale on-farm experiments, using crop variety selection as a case study. A hypothetical region was simulated comprising one thousand corn production fields of diverse soil types and weather conditions. Each field was implemented with an on-farm variety trial. Yields for each variety were simulated based on presumed true yield responses to soil types and weather conditions that are derived from historical Mississippi variety trial data. By constructing aggregated on-farm experiment data set of farms, the individualized optimal variety for each field was recommended, and the associated yields were predicted. The production profitability for all fields was calculated based on current market prices. Results revealed a substantial improvement in farming profitability when employing the individualized optimal variety selection derived from the large-scale experiment network, compared to the scenario of only using farm’s own data. Furthermore, the simulation study also reveal that the profitability improvement diminishes when the scale of the experiment network decreases or when the number of trial varieties per field reduces. The simulation results underscored the economic benefits of broader farmer participation in on-farm experiment network and more intensive trials by each participant.