Positioning strip trials for robust evaluation of spatially variable responses to crop protection practices in vineyards

Replicated small-plot trials are the common approach to evaluating crop protectants and other disease management tactics. Promising treatments can then be evaluated over larger areas using commercial equipment. Agronomists and farmers also need a robust, efficient approach to evaluate alternative practices at scale under local conditions. A simple strip trial approach whereby treatments along crop rows are compared using moving window analysis can reveal spatial variation in treatment responses; that is, a treatment can be more, less or equally effective to another at different locations in a strip. Such information can guide targeted management if this is a goal. However, the question of where to position a strip trial remains vexed.