Interactive Web-based Data Visualization and Analysis Tool for Synthetizing on-farm Research Networks Data

Abstract

The on-farm research network concept enables a group of farmers to test new agricultural management practices under local conditions with support from local researchers or agronomists. Different on-farm trials based on the same experimen- tal design are conducted over several years and sites to test the effectiveness of dif- ferent innovative management practices aimed at increasing crop productivity and profitability. As a larger amount of historical trial data are being accumulated, data of all the trials require analyses and summarization. Summaries of on-farm trials are usually presented to farmers as individual field reports, which are not optimal for the dissemination of results and decision making. A more practical communication method is needed to enhance result communication and decision making. R Shiny is a new rapidly developing technology for turning R data ana- lyses into interactive web applications. For the first time for on-farm research net- works, we developed and launched an interactive web tool called ISOFAST using R Shiny. ISOFAST simultaneously reports all trial results about the same manage- ment practice to simplify interpretation of multi-site and multi-year summaries. We used a random-effects model to synthetize treatment differences at both the individual trial and network levels and generate new knowledge for farmers and agronomists. The friendly interface enables users to explore trial summaries, access model outputs, and perform economic analysis at their fingertips. This paper describes a case-study to illustrate how to use the tool and make agronomic management decisions based on the on-farm trial data. We also provided techni- cal details and guidance for developing a similar interactive visualization tool cus- tomized for on-farm research network. ISOFAST is currently available at https:// analytics.iasoybeans.com/cool-apps/ISOFAST/.