Methodology of the Agrophysical Institute’s Modern System of Field Experiments

Abstract

The North-West region of Russia has an exceptional variety of climatic and landscape ecology conditions. The development of the scientific foundations of adaptive farming requires the radical restructuring of the field experiment work system. This system relies on the methodology of mathematically and physically modelling agroecosystems to develop fundamental aspects of the theory used to manage their condition, and to solve modern applied problems of adaptive farming in a promising manner. During a long-term study, the methodology of a multilevel system of field experiments in the Menkovsky branch of the Agrophysical Institute was developed and tested. Its construction was based on the principles of multiple scales and consistency. It includes field experiments on a fundamental level, called “great balance experiment”, “stationary agroecological experiment”, and “stationary agrophysical experiment”. Also, on a fundamental to applied level, landscape experiments, precision farming experiments, and cooperative experiments have been elaborated and started. On a more detailed level, comparative experiments, small-plot experiments, microfield experiments, and different experiments of contract research are included. The system is completed by large-scale production experiments and monitoring studies. The comprehensive system of experiments is basically built according to the multiscale nature of the agroecosystem’s organization and aims for a mathematically precise description of the processes and the phenomena occurring in them. Its main implementation aspect is the regulatory framework for resource-saving farming system designs.