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The Analysis of Spatial Experiments

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Geostatistical Applications for Precision Agriculture

Abstract

Anyone with an interest in precision agriculture has already formed a hypothesis that the field is a sub-optimum management unit for cropping. The role of experimentation is to test this hypothesis. Geostatistics can play an important role in analysing experiments for site-specific crop management: put simply, spatial autocorrelation must be accounted for if one is to draw valid inferences. We provide here some background to the basic concepts of agronomic experimentation. We then consider two broad classes of experimental design for precision agriculture (management-class experiments and local-response experiments), and show, with the aid of case studies, how each may be analysed geostatistically. Ultimately though, if farmers are compelled to use relatively simple designs and less formal analyses, then researchers must follow and adapt their geostatistical analyses accordingly.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Mr. Michael Ledingham, ‘Merinda’, NSW, for the data for Rosewood field. The contribution of RML is part of the programme in Mathematical and Computational Biology at Rothamsted Research, funded by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The analyses for Bypass field were undertaken as part of a project funded by BBSRC Grant D20191, using data collected in another BBSRC-funded project (Grant 204/11563). Thanks also to Dr Rob Bramley for providing the comments that helped shape the final version.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment and Resource Management, Remote Sensing Centre, QCCCA Building, 80 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, QLD, 4068, Australia

    M. J. Pringle

  2. Australian Centre for Precision Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Sydney, 1 Central Avenue, Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh, NSW, 2015, Australia

    T. F. A. Bishop

  3. Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK

    R. M. Lark

  4. Australian Centre for Precision Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Sydney, John Woolley Building, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    B. M. Whelan & A. B. McBratney

Authors
  1. M. J. Pringle
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  2. T. F. A. Bishop
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  3. R. M. Lark
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  4. B. M. Whelan
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  5. A. B. McBratney
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Correspondence to M. J. Pringle .

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  1. Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DW, United Kingdom

    M.A. Oliver

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Pringle, M.J., Bishop, T.F.A., Lark, R.M., Whelan, B.M., McBratney, A.B. (2010). The Analysis of Spatial Experiments. In: Oliver, M. (eds) Geostatistical Applications for Precision Agriculture. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9133-8_10

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