Probability as a Basis for Barley Cultivar Selection by Growers

Abstract

Inadequate interpretation of cultivar test results can lead to poor cultivar selection by growers and loss of farm income. Analysis of cultivar mean yields does not allow comparison of predicted cultivar responses at different yield levels. Traditional tests of significance are inappropriate for nonacademic clients of applied research. This study introduces cumulative probabilities (CP) as an alternative method of expressing predicted cultivar response across the range of possible yields. Cumulative probabilities, computed using the mean and standard deviation of each cultivar in a normal probability density function, express the probability growers have of obtaining or exceeding given yields when planting each cultivar [...]