Register September 2005 No. 597
APPENDIX D
FIELD TEST STANDARDS
A field test shall meet the following standards:
(1) Testing shall be done over at least 2 growing seasons, or in at least 2 geographically separated locations over at least one growing season. Testing on agricultural crops shall continue through normal Wisconsin harvest time for those crops and include appropriate yield and quality data for that crop.
(2) Testing shall be done under Wisconsin conditions, or under conditions that are relevant to Wisconsin product users. For plants typically grown indoors, or in greenhouses or outdoor pots, tests may be conducted under greenhouse conditions that resemble the plants’ normal growing conditions.
(3) Testing shall include all of the following:
(a) An untreated control area or control sample. The control area or control sample shall be identical, in relevant respects, to treated areas or samples.
(b) An area or sample treated with the test product, at the product label rate.
(c) An area or sample treated with a comparable product, if any, that is permitted in Wisconsin. The product shall be applied at the rate specified on the label of that product.
(d) If the test product is a fertilizer or fertilizer-additive, an area or sample treated with a fertilizer permitted in Wisconsin. The fertilizer shall supply the same nutrients supplied by the test product, and be applied at a rate consistent with relevant and published recommendations of the University of Wisconsin.
(4) Test areas or test samples under paragraph (3) shall be randomly distributed among test plots, to achieve a statistically valid plot design. Plot treatments shall be replicated at least 4 times. Plots shall be large enough to avoid overlapping treatment effects.
(5) Testing on agricultural crops shall include accurate measurement of crop yield and quality. The measurement of crop yield and quality shall be based upon the parameters that establish the market value for the crop being tested.
