IMPORTANCE OF PROPER CHECK TREATMENTS IN APPLIED AGRONOMIC RESEARCH
Agronomy & Pest Management
Edwin Lentz
Extension Educator and Professor
The Ohio State University Extension
Findlay
Abstract
Applied research should be designed to address a specific question or need for local producers. The results of the research should be shared in education programs. Credibility of the research becomes critical since producers may adopt practices suggested by the results. Thus it is imperative that the experimental design include proper check treatments and that result interpretation be sound for reasonable conclusions. The objective of this presentation is to show the importance of proper check treatments from an actual applied wheat experiment and how they prevented a potentially wrong conclusion. This study compared various nitrogen treatments at two application times. Results conflicted with previous research and university recommendations. However, the checks explained why the results were different and that current university recommendations were still applicable. The results did show that unusual weather may be a cause for a different management approach but only because the proper check treatments were in place. The proper checks justified a modification to be made in management practices presented at educational meetings and written in state agronomic newsletters without changing the primary university recommendation.
Authors: Lentz, E.M.
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Lentz, E.M. Extension Educator, The Ohio State University Extension, Seneca County, Ohio, 44883