Register September 2005 No. 597
APPENDIX E
FIELD TEST REPORT STANDARDS
A field test report shall follow principles of scientific investigation. Methods, statistics and interpretations shall be capable of withstanding peer review in the scientific communities of agronomy, horticulture or soil science. The report shall be peer reviewed, or prepared to peer review standards. The report shall contain all the following:
(1) A descriptive title.
(2) An introduction that clearly describes all the following:
(a) The product being tested, including a statement of ingredients and ingredient amounts.
(b) The crop, plant or nutrient response being measured.
(c) The funding source for the research, and the researcher’s financial interest in the product, if any.
(d) The research location and facility.
(e) The identity and background of the researcher, including any bias the researcher has toward the product being tested.
(3) A clear statement of the hypothesis or product claim being tested.
(4) A statement of methods and materials. This statement shall explain how the test was scientifically designed to prove or disprove the hypothesis or product claim. It shall describe, in detail, the test design, setting, methods, conditions, dates and locations. The description shall be sufficiently clear and detailed so that another researcher can replicate the test based solely on the report. If the test was not done in Wisconsin or under Wisconsin growing conditions, the statement shall identify significant differences in the growing conditions.
(5) A statement and discussion of test results. This shall include all the following:
(a) A clear and detailed statement of the test results, including a statistical report and analysis of the test results at the 1% or 5% level of statistical significance.
NOTE: The department may consider test results reported at the 10% level of statistical significance only to the extent that those results are supported consistently through many years of research or in numerous locations.
(b) A conclusion based on the stated test results. The conclusion shall indicate whether the test did or did not prove the hypothesis or product claim. If the test was not conducted under Wisconsin conditions, the conclusion shall discuss the validity and relevance of the test under Wisconsin conditions.
