Less risk and more reward are achievable with a strategic approach to early and late stages of product development. Once field trials are initiated, site selection and protocol design drive the quality of performance data and support the ultimate product position and successful use. Key factors that positively or negatively impact product performance must be identified as early as possible in the process. Protocol design and site selection are critical to achieve development objects and precise evaluation of emerging biological technologies.

If the technology is new, every piece of data can bring enlightenment, but strategic site selection becomes imperative to gather insights which continue the product development for positioning.

Protocol Design and Site Selection Challenges

Environmental “noise” affects the evaluation of innovative technologies in the field. Replicated trials with specific protocols and detailed characterization improve the objectivity of the assessment. As product position and best uses are defined, the late development trials can deliver even more targeting for performance data.
Too many questions to answer. The more data a company tries to discover within a single trial, the less the companies will learn. A strategic approach is best. The tendency is to make the budget stretch as far as possible, but the more objectives you add to a protocol, the less focused the data will be. Companies can often spend time and money and not get what they need without a focused strategic approach.
Consider the target market needs. What are the most important problems the product can solve? What are the primary and secondary issues to consider? For example, secondary pests on a product label can be a difference-maker for growers. To label a product for control of secondary pests, product development experts must have experience testing for secondary pest control. Secondary pests are a challenge because those pressures do not exist in every region, soil type, crop, or environment. So, protocols must be designed based on pests and not only on crops.
Data-driven analysis of sites. The critical component for site selection of a trial is to determine the right place at the right time in the right environment to show the desired results. For example, for fertility trials to be in responsive soils, efficacy trials need to happen at the sites with a history of that disease or pest, to have enough pressure for comparisons. Product development requires knowledge about the product, the results to date and then applying that understanding to the pests, crops and geographies.
Plan before Planting. Thoughtful strategy development before starting a trial is important. Once a protocol is in place, each change increases the probability of inconsistency. Thinking through all the data needs at the beginning ensures complete data at the end of the trial.

An Example of the Importance of Protocol Design and Site Selection

Ten-year AgriThority veteran Krishan Jindal observes sweet corn plants at Texas sweet corn trial. — AgriThority® veteran Krishan Jindal observes sweet corn plants in a Texas trial.

AgriThority® conducted small plot trials in sweet corn for a client. The overall objective was to study and evaluate the effect of microbial phosphorus solubilizing products on the availability of phosphorus from Phosphate Rock (PR) to increase their agronomic efficiency under standard field conditions, for both organic and conventional farming.

Sites were strategically selected in three states with phosphorus responsive soils to ensure relevant and applicable data, which will then influence the quality of the insights derived from the data. The site selection enhances the study to compare the effect of two PR fertilizers alone and together. During the trial, we also applied with three microbial phosphorus solubilizing products as spring pre-plant broadcast application to organic and conventional sweet corn to evaluate early plant establishment, fresh and dry biomass, and yield under different climatic and crop systems.

AgriThority® experts quantified the differences in the phosphorus uptake and accumulation from PR applied together with phosphorus solubilizing products compared to the PR, and DAP/MAP (grower standard practice) that supply the same rate of phosphorus.

Precise Evaluation of Emerging Biological Technologies

Protocol design and trial site selection are also critical for precise evaluation of emerging biological technologies. It’s not enough to assure a grower that a new technology works. They need to know how, why and where it works to increase adoption of biological technologies. Not only that, but it’s important to evaluate how the biological product will fit into the existing grower paradigms, how it works with other products and what are the Best Management Practices.

Dr. Gloverson Moro and Ignacio Colonna walk a potential plot in Hickman, Calif. Site selection and protocol designs are a major focus for every small and large plot trial AgriThority conducts. — Dr. Gloverson Moro and Ignacio Colonna inspect a potential plot location in Hickman, Calif. Site selection and protocol designs are a major focus for every small and large plot trial AgriThority conducts.

Reach out to AgriThority® to generate accurate, credible data, which is mandatory throughout the product development stages. Our disciplined Prescriptive Response™ Development services drive detailed management of process and science to ensure productive learnings and insights move innovations toward commercialization.