I am going to conduct a three-year research project on soil health in vegetable crop production using soil conservation practices in Quebec, Canada. My treatment could be fertilization level as a first factor using concentrated poultry manure, inorganic fertilizers, and the mixture of concentrated poultry manure and inorganic fertilizers, all with an application of biochar (yes/no) and no application (control). The next level could be cover crop plantation (yes/no). The crop to be planted will be lettuce. My research objective will be to find out the impact of these treatments on soil health and crop yield.
Since I was wishing to apply biochar in a large unit and incorporate them with a tractor, I thought about the Split-plot design (Main factor: Biochar) and seeding cover crops by hand. I am not sure about the number of factors that I will make. I am open to your suggestions. Please suggest different statistical references to my treatment too.
Which research design would you think to be suitable for me with these kinds of treatments? Please briefly elaborate on your ideas. Also, I am happy to receive valuable suggestions regarding my project and regarding other soil conservation practices too (except tillage practices).
Your valuable advice will be highly appreciated. Thanking you in advance.
Not my strength but make sure that the site is uniform enough, there is sufficient replication, and the applications are large enough to finish with significant effects
For the split think about using no biochar and for biochar use 5 MT per acre so the treatment is more resonable based on cost and logistics.
For your treatments absolutely no fertilizer or treatment, chemical fertilizer as recommended for lettuce, incorporated chicken maure, compost and compost with chicken manure.
The use of biochar is most effective in acid soils and in alkaline soils the alkalinity of biochar can result in micronutrient deficiency.
Get a complete soil analysis and think about the limitations of it and how you might balance your plots.
A field design like this should be done in uniform areas if at all possible and identify gradients in the soil.
You need at least 4 replications and large plots are to be preferred.
If you get soil analysis I would be glad to work with you on possible interpretations.
From the treatments you explained you have twelve treatment combinations (3x2x2). A Randomized Complete Block design would be recommended, with at least three replications. This design will readily control for other factors such as non-uniformity in the natural soil fertility. My view. Remember that split plot design is not very efficient in controlling for natural soil fertility differences.
Paul Reed Hepperly, I agree with you, that was exactly the same idea to take biochar as a main factor, but I am still working to find out the application rate. I will look at the soil gradients and work accordingly, but I am afraid about the precision of the biochar application as it will be conducted on a split-plot design. How can I arrange my factors here? Will it be two-factor or three-factor? Could you suggest the pros and cons. of taking 2-factor and 3-factor on data analysis? @Joseph Kipkorir Cheruiyot But, I do not think to go for RCBD because biochar incorporation could be problematic on small plots. Can you suggest me better ideas?
Krishna Poudel
What is the pH of the soil you are working with?
Biochar is very stimulatory in acid soil it gives a very nice liming effect.
As per rates 5 to 15 MT are common usage rates.
Get analysis of your organic inputs to give an idea of your application rates according to target crops or crop.
@Krishna Poudel, Will you be taking "year" as a factor? From the description of your project, you already have 3 factors; "Fertilizer" with 3 levels, "Biochar" with 2 levels, and "Crop" with 2 levels. If you are making the biochar your main plot, which of the other factors will be your subplot given that you require more precision on that than others? After deciding on which one will be you subplot, then the best design will be split split plot with at least 3 replications, else go for RCBD with 3 factors.
Nasirat Akanfe, maybe there is a misunderstanding in treatment, Fertilizer levels: no fertilizer (control), pelleted poultry manure, mineral fertilizer, a mixture of mineral and poultry manure. Note: These treatments will again go with biochar (yes/no). total: 8 treatments. Again, two levels of cover crop (yes/no). So, the treatment total is 16.
Paul Reed Hepperly , At this time, I have no data on my hand, will be able to collect them in a few days. That is why I wanted to know now what possible research design can I make with these treatment details.
@ Krishna Poudel, that's 4*2*2. So, It's a 3 factor experiment with a total of 16 treatment levels.
Krishna, I have a couple thoughts to consider. Plot size; I seen small plot size used in a plowed/disc field disappear. I would recommend a size of plot that takes that into account one by size (say 15m x 15m) with 3-5m intra plot distances. Also you need to consider the rate of application, maybe 0, 1/2x agronomic rate, 1x agronomic rate, 2x agronomic rate. as Paul Milham suggested uniform soil characteristics is very important.
Bob
P.S. one other thought - marking of plot corners. You need to consider you which to sample. I have projects that are now running 30 years, luckily the site is a grassed rangeland and rebar works. a field with a disturbed surface may be difficult. One idea might be to bury the corner marker deep (below the plow layer) and locate the corners with a metal locater.
Bob
ِDear, Dr. Krishna Poudel. You are looking for a very good goal in action. In order to provide you with the right decision, you should first introduce the climatic components and the target soil environment in a table, and then we would give you a model based on the environmental data for soil health.
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