ECO-PB COORDINATED TRIALS 2001/02
The board of ECO-PB agreed that the research institutes amongst ECO-PB's member organizations shall proceed with a coordinated programme of cereal variety trials. The common trails started in autumn 2001 with winter wheat (bread qualities).
The variety trial is set up comparable in four countries and is organized and looked after by the following institutes:
(1) Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming (DARCOF, DK),
(2) Elm Farm Research Centre (EFRC, UK),
(3) Technical Institute of Organic Agriculture (ITAB, FR),
(4) Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL Switzerland),
(5) Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL Germany).
Each institute is represented by | one common variety |. The Louis Bolk Institute (LBI) in the Netherlands set up no trial on winter wheat but is represented in the all trials with a Dutch variety.
All trials are conducted under conditions of organic agriculture. The experiments follow a
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randomised block design | with at least 3 replicates to allow proper statistical analysis. A series of core assessments that are equally carried out on each trial shall be made. In addition, there are a number of optional assessments that can be made deliberately. | Table 1 | gives details of the trial assessments on winter wheat.
Variety
| Winter wheat variety |
Country
|
Institut
|
| Spark |
UK
|
EFRC
|
| Hereward |
NL
|
LBI
|
| Terra |
DK
|
KVL
|
| Bussard |
D
|
FiBL
|
| Titlis |
CH
|
FiBL
|
| Apache |
F
|
ITAB
|
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Randomised block design
Variety testing in each country is using a randomised block design with small plots, each with at least three replicates to allow statistical analysis.
For more site details in each country use link.
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1. Replicate
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2. Replicate
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3. Replicate
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1 Spark, EFRC(UK)
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4 Bussard, FiBL (D)
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6 Apache, ITAB (F)
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2 Hereward, LBI ( NL)
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7 varietal mixture
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5 Titlis, FiBL (CH)
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3 Terra, DARCOF (DK)
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1 Spark, EFRC(UK)
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7 varietal mixture
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4 Bussard, FiBL (D)
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2 Hereward, LBI ( NL)
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3 Terra, DARCOF (DK)
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5 Titlis, FiBL (CH)
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6 Apache, ITAB (F)
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2 Hereward, LBI ( NL)
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6 Apache, ITAB (F)
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3 Terra, DARCOF (DK)
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1 Spark, EFRC(UK)
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7 varietal mixture
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5 Titlis, FiBL (CH)
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4 Bussard, FiBL (D)
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| ERFC (UK) | LBI (NL) | DARCOF (DK) | FiBL (CH/D) | ITAB (F) |
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ERFC (UK)
| Country |
England |
|
| Elm Farm Research Centre |
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| Site details |
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| Site name |
Fressingfield, Suffolk | Burbage, Wiltshire |
| Number of years since conversion to organic |
3 years | 2 years full organic status |
| Altitude |
50 m amsl | 173 m amsl |
| average annual rainfall | 600 mm | 812 mm |
| Soil type | Sandy clay loam (Hanslope series) | Alluvial (Greensand) |
| Pioneer crop | Fallow (to control weeds) | Potatoes |
| Cultivations |
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| Sowing date | 29.10.2001 | 20.11.2001 |
| Crop row spacing (cm) | 30 cm, crop sown in 20 cm band | 12.5 cm |
| Trial design |
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| Plot size (Length x Width) | 22 m x 1.5 m | 10 m x 4 m |
| Total trials area (m2) | 0.4 ha | 0.4 ha |
| Varieties |
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| List all varieties included in trial | Aardvark (Aa), Bussard (Bu), Claire (Cl), Hereward (He), Malacca (Ma), Maris Widgeon (Wi), Pegassos (Pe), Renan (Re), Shamrock (Sh), Spark (Sp), Solstice (So), Terra (Te), Titlis (Ti). | Aardvark (Aa), Bussard (Bu), Claire (Cl), Hereward (He), Malacca (Ma), Maris Widgeon (Wi), Pegassos (Pe), Renan (Re), Shamrock (Sh), Spark (Sp), Solstice (So), Terra (Te), Titlis (Ti). |
| List all variety mixtures included in trial |
Aa/Cl/Sp; He/Ma/Sh; He/Sh/Sp; He/Sh/So; He/Sp/So; Hw/Wi/Sh; So/Sp/Sh | Aa/Cl/Sp; He/Ma/Sh; He/Sh/Sp; He/Sh/So; He/Sp/So; Hw/Wi/Sh; So/Sp/Sh |
| Contact |
||
| james.p.welsh@ntlworld.com |
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LBI (NL)
No trial for winterwheat was set up in NL
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DARCOF (DK)
| Country |
Denmark |
| Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming |
|
| Site details |
|
| Number of years since conversion to organic |
13 (experimental station, not certified organic) |
| Altitude |
28 m |
| average annual rainfall | 600 mm |
| Soil type | Moraenic sandy loam |
| Cultivations |
|
| Sowing date | 15.10.2001 |
| Crop row spacing (cm) | 12.5 cm |
| Pioneer crop | Clovergrass |
| Trial design |
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| Plot size (Length x Width) | 6 x 1.5 m |
| Total trials area (m2) | 9 m2 |
| Varieties |
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| List all varieties included in trial | Dream, Terra, Ure, Kosack, Agron , Zanda, Vama, Ertus, Sol IV, Starke II, Banco, Holger, Holger II, Robor, Aros, Erbe, Stava, Bussard, Renan, Titlis sativa, Spark, Mixture 2, Complett, Mixture 3, Equist, Økostar, PG 3540, Mix.1: Ritmo, Solist, Pentium, Cortez, Mix. 2: Holger, Sol IV, Agron, Terra, Mix. 3: Uhre, Kosack, Stava, Terra |
| List all variety mixtures included in trial |
Ritmo/Solist/Pentium/Cortez; Holger/Sol IV/Agron/Terra; Uhre/Kosack/Stava/Terra |
| Contact |
|
| lars.kristensen@agsci.kvl.dk |
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FiBL (CH/D)
The Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau in Switzerland and Germany set up one variety trial together located in Switzerland close to the german border.
| Country |
Switzerland |
| Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau |
|
| Site details |
|
| Site name |
Wegenstetten |
| Number of years since conversion to organic |
8 |
| Altitude |
550 m above sea level |
| average annual rainfall | 950 mm |
| Soil type | sL, silty loam |
| pioneer crop |
Rape |
| Cultivations |
|
| Sowing date | 16.10.2001 |
| Crop row spacing (cm) | 18 cm |
| Trial design |
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| Seedrate/m² |
480 seeds/m² |
| Plot size (Length x Width) | 6,75 m x 1,32 m; net plot size: 7,26 m² |
| Total trials area (m2) | 2 ha |
| Varieties |
|
| List all varieties included in trial | Titlis, Bussard, Hereward, Sprak, Apache, Pollux, Terra |
| List all variety mixtures included in trial |
Titlis/Bussard/Pollux |
| Contact |
|
| gunilla.lissek-wolf@fibl.de |
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ITAB (F)
| Country |
France |
|
| Instiut Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique |
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| Site details |
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| Location |
PRUNAY (near of REIMS) |
CHAUSSY |
| Number of years since conversion to organic |
10 years | 4 years |
| Altitude |
100 m above sea level | 120 m above sea level |
| average annual rainfall | 700 mm | 650 mm |
| Soil type | Rendsina, very poor | Clayey-calcky |
| Cultivations |
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| Sowing date | 16.11.2001 | 25.10.2001 |
| Seedrate/m² | 460 seeds/m² | 350 seeds/m² |
| Crop row spacing (cm) | 17 cm | 17 cm |
| pioneer crop | Beet |
Alfalfa |
| Trial design |
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| Plot size (Length x Width) | 10 m x 1,35 m | 10 m x 1,4 m |
| Total trials area (m2) | 5 000 m² | 3 000 m² |
| Varieties |
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| List all varieties included in trial | Titlis, Bussard, Hereward, Sprak, Malacca, Apache, Renan | Titlis, Bussard, Hereward, Sprak, Apache, Malacca, Renan |
| Contact |
||
| laurence.fontaine@itab.asso.fr | ||
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Table 1:
The core and optional assessments for the coordinated variety trials.
| Assessment | Method |
Winter
Wheat |
| Plant emergence (Assess when complete emergence is reached) |
Randomly place a 50 cm ruler in-between but parallel with the crop rows. Count the plants on either side of the ruler and add together. Repeat this 3 x per plot. To convert to plants m-2:
|
Core
|
| Plant survival over winter (Assess end of February or early March |
As for plant emergence assessment |
Core
|
| Shoot density (Assess at crop growth stage 31 - stem elongation) |
As for plant emergence assessment. Shoot density = main stems + tillers. |
Core
|
| Crop ground cover (%) (Assess at the same time as plant emergence, plant survival, shoot density and disease assessments) |
This should be estimated visually and expressed as a % ground cover. |
Core
|
| Weed ground cover (Assess before any weeding treatments and also at the same time as crop ground cover) |
As for crop ground cover. Make a note of the species of weed present. |
Core
|
| Disease (stripe, brown rust, Septoria, fusarium, mildew) | Disease should be assessed on a "whole plot" basis using the keys provided. |
Core
|
| Straw length (Assess prior to harvest) |
Straw length (cm) should be measured from the soil surface to the base of the ear. Repeat this for 10 random stems per plot. |
Core
|
| Straw yield (Assess prior to harvest) |
Randomly place a 0.25 m-2 quadrat in the crop. Harvest the crop within the quadrat. Cut the ears off and then weigh the straw to determine fresh weight (g). Repeat this 2 x per plot. Calculate the average straw weight from the 2 sampling positions and express straw yield as t ha-1. |
Optional
|
| Lodging (Assess prior to harvest) |
This should be estimated visually on a 0 - 9 scale, where 0 = no lodging and 9 = crop completely lodged. |
Core
|
| Earliness of ear emergence | The date when ears are fully emerged should be noted. |
Optional
|
| Distance from flag-leaf to ear (Assess prior to flag leaf senescence) |
Should be measured from the flag leaf/stem junction to the base of fully emerged ear. Repeat this for 10 random stems per plot. |
Optional
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| Ear number (Assess prior to harvest) |
Use the same methodology as at plant emergence |
Core
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| Yield | Yield data to be expressed as t ha-1 at 15% moisture content |
Core
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| Hagberg Falling Number | According to standard laboratory practice |
Core
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| Protein content |
Core
|
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| Zeleny value |
Core
|
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| Hectolitre weight |
Core
|
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| Baking test |
Optional
|
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