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Trial plots are side-by-side replicated comparisons at common locations to ensure virtually identical soil, moisture and other climatic conditions to provide meaningful results.
Each trial contains an untreated check as a common comparison for the fungicide treatments.
All trials on ItPaystoSpray.ca are aggregate data compiled from over 13 years across Canada.
All trials are organized by our Market Development Representatives and grower managed. The grower fertilizes, seeds and harvests each trial site using their own equipment and agronomic practices. All trials are non-inoculated and the presence of disease occurs as it naturally would. The only variable our Field Marketing Specialist organize or implement is the fungicide application.

Bayer has a team of passionate individuals who make up our Agronomist team, all with diverse agricultural backgrounds and expertise across Canada. Each agronomist is responsible for specific regions in their area. They work alongside growers to develop the trials and work with them from start to finish; fertilizing, seeding, managing weeds, protecting against disease and eventually harvest.

In our fungicide trials Bayer agronomic staff have assessed disease pressure in the untreated check. These assessments were completed at each application timing and 14-21 days following the final fungicide treatment. The goal of these assessments was to help illustrate the disease pressure at each location, at application timing and to help growers make decisions on their own farms about when to apply a fungicide.

Bayer Market Development Representatives monitor all trials closely and ensure the appropriate application timing of all products to maximize the validity of the results. In cereals, fungicides are applied at the flag leaf and early flowering stages. In canola, fungicides are applied at the 30%-50% flowering stages. In pulses, fungicides are applied at the first sign of disease or the onset of flowering. Applications made at each stage are applied on the same day utilizing label rates of each fungicide. Any other required crop production practices are conducted uniformly across the trial as not to influence results.

Each trial is replicated within the same field to ensure field characteristics do not advantage or disadvantage any treatment. Factors such as varying soil types, environmental extremes or pest damage can affect uniformity across the trial. By using statistical analysis it can be determined that the differences between fungicide treatments are attributed to the effect of the fungicide, not other factors. If variability between the replications is too high the differences may be attributed to other factors. In this case the trial is cancelled.

Each fungicide treatment is harvested by the grower. One full swather or combine header width is cut down the center of each strip and this is used to determine yield as the harvested area can be accurately calculated.

Each fungicide treatment is one sprayer width wide and minimum 500 feet long. Our Market Development Agronomists utilizes the growers sprayer and typically has 2-4 treatments per trial. In our own independent trials, our Market Development Representatives utilize their won 50 ft boom sprayer and typically has 5-9 treatments per trial.

Comparisons are completed at harvest and weigh wagons are used for accuracy – Yields are standardized with adjustment for dockage and moisture. Treatment samples are analyzed for various quality parameters like grade. Starting in 2020 we began incorporating Climate FieldView into our field scale Market Development Agronomist trials to utilizing region reports to check for trial quality and analyzing yield and moisture.

In cereal trials, fungicide treatments that are applied at heading samples are analyzed to assess levels of vomitoxin (DON) and fusarium damaged kernels (FDKs) versus untreated treatments within the same trial. In canola trials, the untreated check is monitored for sclerotinia incidence to determine the disease infection and efficacy of the fungicides. In pulses, efficacy is rated as well as disease incidence and grade. For corn trials where there is evidence of gibberella grain samples are taken to analyze for vomitoxin (DON).