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How to set up a simplified on-farm cultivar trial to assess broccoli?
Problem
Most commercial broccoli cultivars originate from conventional breeding and might not perform well under
organic conditions. Cultivar trials, with a complete randomised block design and 3-4 repetitions, are often not
feasible for organic farmers, who wish to test the cultivar’s suitability for their on-farm conditions.
Solution
Organic farmers can set up a simplified cultivar trial with
different broccoli varieties. In order to evaluate varietal
difference, the trial error (e.g. soil differences in the trial field) has to be minimized. To evaluate the trial error, a reference variety is planted in 2-3 randomly distributed plots(see Figure 1). When comparing the reference plots, differences in performance might indicate a trial error. The trial should be repeated over several years to increase its
reliability.
Description
Liveseed Practice Abrstract
Target Audience: farmers, researchers