crop rotation experiments

[kikijay]

Rep 1

crop 1 crop 4 crop 3 crop 2

crop 1 crop 5 crop 3 crop 7

crop 1 crop 5 crop 2 crop 3

crop 6 crop 1 crop 3 crop 2

crop 6 crop 1 crop 2 crop 1

crop 1 crop 3 crop 5 crop 2)

 

that represent one rep of rotation trial. four crops are rotated together to represent one farm. all crops are grown every season for 5 seasons. how do i analyse the data?

Edited July 28, 2014 by kikijay

[chadn737]

Well you lack replicates.....

[Harold Squared]

Another thing, pretty basic, is which, if any of the crops are legumes? Such plants contribute fixed nitrogen to the soil and aid in preservation of its fertility.

 

Will any of said crops be used for forage for livestock? This is another pertinent question which readily comes to mind. Furthermore there is a matter of plant produced toxins, I have heard but cannot confirm that cucumbers leave such substances in the soil which poison tomato plants growing in that soil afterwards.

 

As far as analysis of the data I suppose you could compare net yield in adjacent fields per ton of fertilizer used. The weather should be roughly the same as should exposure to pests. Naturally you would want to have all seeds come from the same lot as much as possible, maybe select samples at random for the presence of desired qualities.

 

Then perhaps ask yourself, "What would Norman Borlaug do?"

Edited April 6, 2015 by Harold Squared