INRAT key terms

An experimental layout in which every treatment appears once in each block, and treatments are allotted at random inside each block. Blocking groups similar plots together so that soil or site differences do not masquerade as treatment effects.

The deliberate repetition of the same treatment on several independent experimental units. Replication lets researchers measure natural variation and obtain a more reliable estimate of each treatment's true effect.

The variation remaining among units that received identical treatment. It reflects uncontrolled differences in soil, plants, timing or measurement, and it supplies the yardstick for deciding whether observed treatment differences are real.

A statistical method that splits the total variation in a trial into parts linked to specific sources such as treatment, block or residual noise, then judges whether a source explains more variation than chance alone would produce.

A threshold computed after an analysis of variance that defines the smallest difference between two treatment means which can be declared statistically significant at a chosen confidence level.

The situation in which varieties or genotypes rank differently across environments, so that the best performer in one location or season is not the best in another. It complicates recommendations and variety release decisions.

The share of total observable variation in a trait that is due to genetic differences among individuals in a population. High values mean selection on the trait is likely to produce rapid genetic progress.

A breeding approach in which DNA markers tightly linked to useful genes are scored in young plants or seeds, allowing breeders to choose parents and offspring without waiting to observe the trait itself.

An organised store of seeds, tubers, cuttings or other propagating material, kept with passport data, that preserves genetic diversity for breeding, research and future reintroduction of lost varieties.

The ability of a plant or variety to maintain acceptable growth and yield when water supply is limited, achieved through escape, avoidance or physiological tolerance mechanisms such as deep roots or osmotic adjustment.

The water loss from a standard, well-watered grass surface under given weather conditions, used as a baseline that is multiplied by a crop coefficient to estimate a specific crop's water use.

Deciding when and how much to irrigate, usually by comparing crop water demand with soil moisture or a water balance, so that yield is protected without wasting water or leaching nutrients.

The accumulation of soluble salts in soil to levels that reduce plant water uptake and can injure roots. It often results from irrigation with salty water, poor drainage or high evaporation in dry climates.

The decomposed plant, animal and microbial material in soil. It stores nutrients and carbon, improves structure and water holding, and is a common indicator of soil fertility and sustainability.

The share of applied nitrogen fertiliser that is taken up and converted into harvested product. Low values signal losses to leaching, volatilisation or denitrification, wasting money and polluting water and air.

A pest management strategy that combines monitoring, resistant varieties, cultural practices, biological control and, only when justified, careful pesticide use, aiming to keep pests below damaging levels with least harm to health and environment.

The use of living organisms such as predators, parasitoids or pathogens to suppress a pest population. Success depends on correct identification, suitable climate and avoiding practices that kill the natural enemies.

The pest density at which the value of the crop loss that further infestation would cause equals the cost of control, signalling that intervention is economically justified.

A pest of potential economic importance to an area where it is not yet present, or is present but under official control, and whose entry and spread are legally restricted by phytosanitary measures.

An official document issued by a national plant protection organisation confirming that a consignment of plants or plant products has been inspected and meets the importing country's plant health requirements.

The narrow zone of soil immediately around and influenced by plant roots, where root exudates support dense microbial activity that affects nutrient availability, root health and disease.

A mutually beneficial association between a fungus and plant roots in which the fungus extends the root's reach for water and nutrients, especially phosphorus, and receives sugars in return.

The measurable reduction in quantity or quality of a crop after harvest and before consumption, caused by spillage, pests, moulds, poor drying, inadequate storage or bad transport.

The length of time a product keeps its required quality, safety and acceptability under stated storage conditions before it becomes unsuitable for sale or consumption.

Managing a field as smaller units by using positioning, sensing and data analysis to vary inputs such as seed, water or fertiliser according to local need instead of uniform whole-field application.

A vegetation index computed from red and near-infrared reflectance; healthy, dense canopies reflect more near-infrared and absorb more red, giving higher values that indicate vigour and cover.

Computer software and methods for storing, combining and displaying information tied to geographic coordinates, used to map soils, fields, yields or pest outbreaks and to support spatial decisions.

Independent assessment of a manuscript or proposal by qualified specialists who are not involved in the work, intended to check soundness, originality and clarity before publication or funding.

A journal-level metric equal to the average number of citations in a given year to articles the journal published in the two preceding years; often used, and often criticised, as a proxy for quality.

Presenting someone else's words, data or ideas as one's own without adequate attribution. It breaches research integrity whether the material is copied from a publication, a website or a colleague.

The commitment to honesty, accuracy, transparency and fair treatment of people and animals throughout the planning, conduct, reporting and review of research.

The organised transfer of research-based knowledge and advice to farmers, usually through advisers, demonstrations and field days, together with feedback that shapes future research priorities.

The sequence of activities and actors that take a farm product from production through processing, distribution and retail to the final consumer, including the services and rules that support each step.

A condition in which all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and preferences for an active life.

Producing more output from existing farmland while reducing environmental harm, by combining better varieties, soil and water management, and pest control rather than by expanding cultivated area.