A new tool, Farm Stat, is available on the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network website. Farm Stat enables growers and agronomists to easily run statistical analysis of their own research studies.
“Each year we discuss that a statistical analysis can help producers have more confidence in their research results, but until now, we did not have a free and easy-to-use tool that enabled them to conduct these analyses themselves,” said Nebraska Extension Educator Laura Thompson.
Farm Stat is accessed online and allows producers or agronomists to specify how many treatments and replications their unique study had and then enter their yield data or other data to be statistically analyzed. The program will quickly produce a complete statistical analysis of variance that can be saved as a PDF.
“One of the features I’m most excited about is the straightforward conclusion statements that the tool provides,” Thompson says. “At the end of the report, users will see a statement that plainly describes whether there was a statistically significant difference in the treatments they were studying. For example, the statement might say ‘starter fertilizer had a statistically higher yield than the no starter fertilizer check’”.
The tool has several layers of functionality. Data can be imported manually for analysis or uploaded as an excel file. Data from an analysis session can also be saved and re-imported for further analysis another time. Several training videos and a user’s guide are available to help users get started. The “FarmStat Complete Guide” video—featuring an introduction to the program as well as a short tutorial—is included on the ‘Welcome’ page of Farm Stat and can also be found on the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network’s YouTube page. The user’s guide provides a detailed explanation of Farm Stat functionality and how to use the program. This resource is also linked within the Farm Stat program. Excel spreadsheet templates for organizing data from randomized complete block designs and completely randomized designs are also offered within the program.
Jackson Stansell, a Biological Systems Engineering Graduate student who oversaw the development effort says, “Farm Stat was developed to be straightforward for any user with data to analyze from typical agricultural experiments. I highly encourage potential users to watch the video tutorial resources as an orientation to the program. Then, let Farm Stat help you analyze and get value from your data.”
NOFRN is a collaborative partnership which includes Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff Board, and the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission. The goal of the network is to put to use a statewide on-farm research program addressing critical farmer production, profitability and natural resources questions.
For more information, contact Thompson at 402-245-2224, [email protected] or contact your local Nebraska Extension office.
