The most valuable trial record begins before the first application. It starts with a question that the protocol is designed to answer.
Make the question explicit
For MoGro+ development, FarmOS is intended to connect a defined research question with the records needed to review it. Crop, formulation, application method and growing conditions form part of that context. They should not be lost when results are summarized.
- FrameState the question and the outcome of interest before measurement begins.
- CompareDocument the treatment, control and assignment method with the trial lead.
- RecordLink the protocol version, plots, batches and application events.
- ReviewAssess the measurements alongside deviations and limitations.
Make changes visible
A protocol can change as practical constraints emerge. The information system should preserve which version applied, when a change occurred and why. An application recorded against an obsolete protocol should not become indistinguishable from one made under the current plan.
Before the trial
- Question and comparison
- Measurement definitions and units
- Protocol ownership and version
During the trial
- Application and batch records
- Observation times and methods
- Deviations, missing data and corrections
A platform supports the protocol
FarmOS is being designed to organize the evidence around a trial. It does not substitute for agronomic judgment, an appropriate experimental design or independent review. The trial lead defines the protocol; the platform should help preserve what was planned and what actually happened.