Virtual INTA-CATIE Course Strengthens Skills in Agricultural Experiment Design

• The virtual course aimed to improve planning and data analysis skills within the INTA research network in Nicaragua.
  
  

The recent virtual course on experiment design, developed by the Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in collaboration with CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), has been a significant milestone in the training of researchers in the agricultural field. This event, held from May to July 2024, had the primary objective of developing skills for planning agricultural experiments and subsequently analyzing data using statistical software.

During the course, essential topics for planning and analyzing agricultural experiments were covered, including the basic principles of experimental design and an introduction to using InfoStat software. Additionally, the structure of treatments and experimental units was explored, as well as the validation of model assumptions.

The importance of this course lay in improving the skills of the INTA research network for planning agricultural experiments and analyzing data using statistical software. This will enable them to design and analyze experiments more effectively, contributing to sustainable development and innovation in the agricultural sector.

The virtual course was managed by CATIE's National Office in Nicaragua and taught by Sergio Vilchez and Eduardo Corrales, researchers from CATIE's Biostatistics Unit in Costa Rica. Participants included researchers from the INTA network in Nicaragua, who significantly benefited by acquiring greater skills in using statistical tools for implementing agricultural experiments.

The course highlighted the strengthening of capacities and the updating of knowledge in critical areas for the professional development of participants.

"This initiative not only enriched the researchers but also reinforced CATIE's commitment to its mission of serving countries through educational and research actions, promoting the strengthening of national capacities, and advancing towards Inclusive Green Development," concluded Bayardo Quintero, CATIE's representative in Nicaragua.