Why can’t we include the local check as a fourth crop variety in the tricot data analysis?
As you know, the local check is often the most relevant point of comparison for farmers — it’s what they know and trust. Yet, in the current setup of ClimMob, it’s treated as something “outside” the three test varieties, even though farmers naturally compare everything to it.
Could formally including the local check as a fourth variety (i.e. variety “D”):
- Improve the relevance and interpretability of our results?
- Align better with farmers’ decision-making processes?
- Or would it introduce analytical or methodological complications?
I’m genuinely curious to hear your thoughts — both the pros and the cons. Has this been explored before? Are there technical or philosophical reasons it’s been left out? Or is this something we might revisit as the software and methodology evolve?