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www.SugarProducer.com 21 No One Tracks Root Crop Yields Like We Do. Our technology will make your farm equipment more intelligent and accurate than ever before. RiteYield The RiteYield system adds convenience and accuracy by automatically collecting data for all the various fields, varieties and test plots. • Measures yields once per second • Fits most harvesters • Optional Tilt Sensor for greater accuracy • GPS receiver connectivity • User friendly As a leader in precision agriculture systems we offer unique solutions specifically designed with the root and vegetable producer in mind. For more information visit greentronics.com or contact us at 519-669-4698 Yield Map (raw data) Yield Map (raw data) 1975-20Greentronics12h.indd 1 10/5/18 3:05 PM input costs steady, how can producers determine what products might make a difference on their farms? Farmers often cite lack of good, unbiased research and information as one reason to be skeptical of new products or practices. Another reason is lack of local information on climate, weather, topography, and how they might best work on their farm's soils. One way to get the questions answered on new products and practices is to conduct some level of on-farm research on your farm. You can gain considerable knowledge on how they might work in your own production systems. Every farmer should have at least one research or demonstration trial going on every year. Consider allocating a small percentage of acres to help answer a question, solve a problem or implement a practice you may be considering. This can be done at different levels. You can keep it very simple by doing side-by- side strips—one strip with your current practice or product, one strip with the new practice or product. On-farm demonstrations or variety comparisons are another option. These are relatively simple, but only provide observational information, not the solid data needed for proper evaluation. To get good information to make good management decisions, follow approved research methods. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) technical bulletin, "How to Conduct Research on Your Farm or Ranch," suggests following a 10-step process that will help you develop a successful on-farm research project: 1. Identify your research questions and objective. 2. Develop a research hypothesis. 3. Decide what you will measure and what data you will collect. 4. Develop an experimental design. 5. Choose the location and map out your field plots. 6. Implement the project. 7. Make observations and keep records throughout the season. 8. Collect research data. 9. Analyze the data. 10. Interpret the data and draw conclusions. On-farm research can help answer questions and allow you to assess new products and practices, but it does come with some drawbacks. It takes time and effort to plan and design a good research project at a time of year when time is a premium. Extra costs and plot management are also considerations. Even if the experiment fails, you can usually get some useful information for your efforts. If on-farm research seems overwhelming, there are a number of resources farmers can go to for help. Extension educators, certified crop advisors, crop consultants and agribusinesses are good places to start. Your state's land-grant university has resources to guide growers. The Soil Health Nexus has developed a toolbox with resources that includes bulletins and links that can be useful. Making changes to your traditional production practices or adding a new product can be risky. Most farmers have production systems in place that have served them well over the years— and even across generations. Making good decisions depends on accurate information. On-farm research, on-farm demonstrations or variety comparisons can help growers gather additional information to assist in the decision- making process. n