VI

Researcher-Managed Regional Trials:
 Socioeconomic Evaluation


 Economic evaluation of agronomic research data from
 on-farm trials can involve little more than gathering and
 using appropriate information. For example, if a change
 of fertilizers is involved, the researcher should have the
 price of the fertilizer currently being used and the price
 of the fertilizer being substituted. The difference
 between the rate applied, times the price of each, is the
 difference in cost of the change. Yield differences are
 evaluated on the basis of the price of the crop. If
 yields change sufficiently so that harvest costs are
 modified, this should be taken into consideration also.
 Other economic analyses, however, can be more complex and
 may require or benefit from different analytical or
 statistical techniques. They may also require different
 experimental designs from those utilized for agronomic
 evaluation. Some of these differences include choice of
 evaluation criteria (the means of measuring results),
 effect of a technology on other enterprises on the farm,
 effect on farm labor and its distribution within the
 family, the potential risk involved,and the demand created
 for other kinds of inputs. Many of these considerations
 are too complex to be considered in this volume. However,
 some warrant discussion, since they are of basic
 importance to interpreting agronomic trials and making
 recommendations from them.