THE CAMBRIDGE STATISTICS DISCUSSION GROUP



               Wednesday 3rd March 2004 7:15 for 7:45


                     Small Lecture Theatre,
                  Department of Plant Sciences,
                         Downing Site,
                           Cambridge






    A case study in Winter Wheat Fungicide Trials in the UK 1999-2001





                   Haidee Philpott & John Law
            National Institute of Agricultural Botany


Abstract:
In the UK, the approach adopted to cereal variety evaluation trials has
undergone steady refinements over the past 25-30 years. However, in the late
1970's and early 1980's farmers began to use commercially available fungicides
 to control foliar diseases. To complement the majority of trials that
remained with no fungicide, a series of trials was introduced (Priestley and
Bayles (1982)) to study varietal performance in the absence of foliar disease.
 The untreated trials (U trials) evaluated variety performance in the presence
 of natural disease pressures and highlighted any inherent genetic resistance.
Trials receiving a full programme of fungicide sprays (T trials) allowed the
full biological potential of the variety to be expressed in the absence of
foliar diseases. This series of T trials should be considered as a programme
of sprays within an experimental setting and not as a regime intended for
farm situations. With major changes in the pricing structure applied to UK
grain there is currently great interest in assessing varietal performance
under reduced fungicide situations as part of a drive towards more sustainable
 arable enterprises. The aim of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, to apply
appropriate statistical tools to gain an understanding, from this particular
data set, of variety response to varied fungicide inputs. Secondly, to use
this data, with a relatively low number of environments, to assess current
methodology for the quantification of potentially useful varieties in terms of
 niche adaptation and sustainability.


Speakers:
Haidee has worked within the statistics and data processing team at NIAB for
the past six years: organising, processing, analysing and reporting on
variety trials from across the UK. Before this she studied at
Anglia Polytechnic University.

John's 32 years of employment has involved servicing scientific staff at
the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) headquarters in
Cambridge. From 1997 to 2000 John chaired the UPOV Technical Working Party on
 Computer Programmes and Automation.



Directions:
The Department of Plant Sciences is located on the Downing site situated
between Downing Street and Tennis Court Road. Go through the first door you
come to in the building immediately on your left as you enter from Tennis
Court Road. Once inside the building follow the arrows. Refreshments
will be served in the first floor kitchen.
It is not possible to park on the Downing site in the evening. The nearest
car park is at Lion Yard. Arrivals after 7:45pm can gain admittance by
contacting the secretary on 07761769436.




Next Meetings:
5th April - Anthony Edwards (Gonville and Caius) on
'Cambridge Statistics from Venn to Fisher and beyond'.
13th May - Melanie Cooray (Statwood Partnership) on
'Statistical Considerations When Working for a CRO'.


Supper: Some members eat regularly in the University Centre before
each talk meeting in the downstairs bar at 5-30pm. Feel free to join them.
PLEASE NOTE EARLIER SUPPER TIME.

Subscriptions:  of 4 pounds per member are now due for the 2003-2004 session.

Secretary: Peter Watson, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit,
15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 2EF;telephone 01223 355294 Extension 801;
E-mail [log in to unmask]