In participatory on-farm variety trials there is usually no possibility to set up a randomized, complete block design to collect eligible scientific results due to the lack of space, time, and equipment of organic arable farmers.
Through the analysis of remote sensing images, it was possible to determine weed infestation, field heterogeneity and NDVI* values/pixel (app. 1 cm/pixel). On the other hand, NDVI data did not correlate with traditional sampling results (SPAD* values and yield estimations).
Wheat variety trials were conducted in 2017 on 4 organic on-farm research sites in Hungary characterized by different soil conditions.
Farm-scale plots (cc. 120 m2/variety) were set-up together with farmers and ÖMKis research coordinator with 8-15 winter wheat varieties per farm. Multispectral data capturing were performed and analyzed in collaborating with Statistical and Biological Physics Research Group staff from Eötvös Lóránd University.
*SPAD - Soil Plant Analysis Development, NDVI - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
Further information
Contact
Dr. Dóra Drexler, ÖMKi