An Everyday Guide to On-Farm Research

Field research is conducted to predict future outcomes, not to document the past. This concept is fundamental to understanding why field research needs to be well-designed from a statistical point of view. On-farm research must balance the statistical needs of the researcher with the logistical ease desired by the grower.

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Robert (Bob) NielsenProfessor of Agronomy
Purdue University
rnielsen@purdue.edu

I am a Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University with major responsibilities for Extension education in corn management systems for the state of Indiana. Originally from Nebraska, I joined the Agronomy staff at Purdue in 1982 after obtaining M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota. My current field research involves investigations into the effects of uneven plant spacing on corn grain yield, the potential for using crop canopy sensors to estimate plant N status, and the productive utilization of site-specific crop management tools. One of my major Extension activities is my ongoing development of Web-based corn information sites. My two most popular Web sites are the Corn Growers' Guidebook (http://www.kingcorn.org) and the Chat ‘n Chew Café (http://www.kingcorn.org/cafe).