SSC for an Optimized Zonal Trial Planning

  • Youth development of winter wheat

     Your situation:

    You are planning the zonal registration of your product for protecting winter wheat in the EU Central Zone. Your product is applied during the stage of youth development of the cereal plants.

    You want to conduct the field trials in such a way that the entire efficacy spectrum is demonstrated and evaluated as well as that the typical attack conditions are sufficiently focussed on. The documentation of the field trial planning shall prove that all important criteria have been taken into account and can be retraced by the registration authorities. The expenses for the field trials shall be minimized.


  • EU zones for mutual recognition

    Your question:

    In which regions of the EU Central Zone should trials be conducted, in compliance with the following general requirements?

    • Complete coverage of the European Central zone
    • Consideration of regional differences in the expenses for trials
    • Representative results for the relevant climatic and environmental conditions
    • Possibility of substitution in case of lack of data
    • Coverage of the entire spectrum of possible effects
    • Scientific traceability of the site selection

  • Selection process

    Our solution:

    Within a pre-selection phase the sites of the EU Central Zone coming into consideration are selected. In a second step, the relevant site characteristics are analyzed, evaluated and prioritized.

    For that purpose our specialists and your experts define key regions and relevant economical parameters such as regional trial expenses. On this basis, time series of satellite images are analyzed and curves showing the development of the vegetation index and thus the biomass in the various winter wheat growing sites are extracted. These curves are grouped into classes and clustered on a regional basis. Now, our specialists and your experts select the sites which are qualified to be further analyzed.


  • Content and Target

    In a third step, these selected sites are subjected to a detailed analysis which covers, besides the study of the biomass development derived from satellite image information, additionally the investigation of parameters like

    • climatic zone, climatic region
    • water balance
    • thermal growing season
    • soil type and soil texture, soil organic matter, pH value
    • water management, soil water regime
    • mean, minimum and maximum air temperature
    • precipitation, air humidity and
    • phenological phases

     

    The agro scientific results gained from these detailed site analyses are evaluated in terms of cost-effectiveness and then are prioritized.


  • Example of a selection of optimized trial sites

    As a result you receive

    A selection of trial sites within the EU Central Zone which are optimized in terms of both, an agro scientific and economic point of view.

    The selection criteria are documented, the selection process is scientifically traceable and provides a valid argumentation basis in case of queries.