Take check strips to yield

A check strip is a good way to assess if a new product or technique works and, if it does work, whether it provides a return on investment. Effective analysis requires taking these strips to yield and comparing them.

Visual comparisons early in the season are not a reliable predictor of yield trends, so it is important to follow through on measuring final yields accurately. When harvesting trials, make sure that all treatments are equal as far as area harvested (width, length, etc.) is concerned.

Return on investment occurs when the value of the average treatment effect is greater than the cost of the treatment.  To evaluate a return on an investment, one needs to know the average treatment response, expected crop price, and the cost of the treatment. Profitability margins can be calculated using these parameters.

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