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Field-Scale Experiments for Site-Specific Crop Management. Part II: A Geostatistical Analysis

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Abstract

Part II analyses approach C experiments. Field-scale experiments were applied to four wheat fields in the Western Australian wheat belt. Different experimental designs were used two two-dimensional sine-waves, a chequerboard, and a two-factor strip arrangement. In each experiment, the yield associated with a particular treatment was predicted by kriging to where the other treatments were located. Different forms of kriging were investigated. Co-located cokriging, using the previous-season yield map as a covariate, was the most promising. The kriged data were then modelled with polynomial yield response functions. The outcome was a map for each field that described the optimum application of experimental input. The requirements varied continuously across the field, and could justify future site-specific crop management. The two-factor strip experiment was the most successful of those presented; the field on which it was used showed relatively strong responses to the applied inputs. The other sites were affected by lack of rain and/or design flaws. The underlying philosophy is sound, but the method proposed is time-consuming and inefficient. We hope that this paper can stimulate further research on the subject.

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Author notes

  1. M. J. Pringle

    Present address: Rothamsted Research, AL5 2JQ, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Centre for Precision Agriculture, University of Sydney, 2006, MacMillan Building A05, NSW, Australia

    M. J. Pringle & A. B. McBratney

  2. CIAT, A.A., 6713, Cali, Colombia

    S. E. Cook

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  1. M. J. Pringle
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  2. A. B. McBratney
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  3. S. E. Cook
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Correspondence to M. J. Pringle.

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Pringle, M.J., McBratney, A.B. & Cook, S.E. Field-Scale Experiments for Site-Specific Crop Management. Part II: A Geostatistical Analysis. Precision Agric 5, 625–645 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-004-6347-0

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