The Agronomix Learning Centre contains all our latest online tutorials packed with the most useful information you need to get started with AGROBASE Generation II®. If you have been using AGROBASE for some time there's still information for you assisting you to delve deeper in digging out data to improve your trials.
We hope you will find them profitable in learning to use AGROBASE Generation II to its maximum, advantageous to your research.
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Each tutorial has a Table of Contents section on the left of the screen, with the topics for each tutorial listed. After you view the tutorial, you can always review each topic as often as you want at your own pace. At the bottom of the screen, there is a task bar with a few controls for viewing. The first control looks like “||” and is for pausing, which then becomes a “>” to resume playing. The scroll bar positions the tutorial to any specific spot. There are more controls on the far right of the task bar to adjust the volume, give you full-screen viewing (then press “ESC” to return to the smaller screen) and view more information (“I” button) about the tutorial.
Thank you for viewing. Please check back again soon as we will be adding more videos over the coming weeks.
(Some previous videos - without sound and in Flash format - are still available for you to view on the "Archive" tab. These are being replaced as we further develop The Learning Centre.)
The best place to begin to learn AGROBASE Generation II is by viewing the video on the Research Tree Explorer, in Apple Quicktime.
The “research tree explorer” is a hierarchical tree on the left side of the AGROBASE Generation II screen to manage and direct most of the tasks when working within your research group (the relational database). This tutorial will show you how to work with experiments, nurseries, treatments, parents, populations, locations, traits, and years as the main components of any research group. You will learn the basics of navigating throughout the system.
Importing ExperimentsWhen starting with AGROBASE Generation II, you probably have data from previous years, typically in Excel, and would like to import that data. You can import one or many different experiments from an Excel file, or a multi-location experiment ("trial") with entries ("treatments") across several locations. Imports can also be done with text (CSV), dBASE and a few other file formats, but in this tutorial we will demonstrate the file import with Excel. Any treatments, traits, or locations being imported with the experiment, but not known to the research group will also be automatically updated in the research group. The tutorial will also show how the research tree explorer is then updated.
Importing TreatmentsTreatments (or varieties, or hybrids, or entries, etc.) - whatever is planted in an experiment or nursery or is a factor in an experimental design - may be entered into AGROBASE three ways: (1) Import from an external file, such as in Excel, as will be shown in this tutorial (2) Enter directly via the Treatments Viewer on the Research Tree Explorer (3) Indirectly when importing experiments new to the research group, wherein any treatments new to the research group will be automatically added during the import.
Creating TraitsYou can create and define traits or "variables" unique to your research program – this is fundamental in order to use AGROBASE Generation II. This tutorial will give the “rules” for valid trait names, their abbreviations, and other attributes. Trait types are numeric, character, date, date time, logical, integer, and double (double precision for numeric data). You can also import a list of traits (File->Import->Traits) and related information from an Excel sheet instead of creating them directly in a research group as in this tutorial. When you import new experiments or nurseries, any new traits can also be added to the research group in the process - you don't have to create them beforehand.
Managing TraitsTraits can be renamed, resized, undergo type conversion (character to numeric, for example), their properties changed, grouped or re-grouped and more. If the same data is stored under two or more different trait names, which is not ideal since a relational database expects unique trait names; you can rectify this by storing the data under one trait name. All these changes will be done globally throughout the entire research group. Whenever trait names are changed, all the experiments, nurseries, means, etc. will display data with the new trait name.
Creating ExperimentsThis tutorial will demonstrate the creation of experiments via randomizations for the Randomized Complete Block, Split Plot, and Alpha (Generalized Lattice) experimental designs. There are many more types of designs available within AGROBASE Generation II, including some non-replicated designs. In order to create a new experiment, you must first have a list or group of treatments (varieties, factors, hybrids, etc.) to be randomized and at least one location defined within your research group.
Managing TrialsTrials are comprised of experiments at different locations. You can only perform a multi-location analysis of variance, view means across locations, or run genotype x environment analyses from an open trial or trial means. But if you import a trial through separate spreadsheets for the locations, how then do you "cut and paste" the locations together to make a trial? Or when a trial is randomized and later you need to add (or remove) a location, how do you change the trial? This is all done with the Trial Manager, as we will show in this tutorial.
Defining LocationsLocation names are required in AGROBASE Generation II. For example, you cannot create an experiment or prepare a nursery without a location name. Location names can refer to sites, environments, or research stations, for example - wherever you will locate or plant an experiment or nursery. Location names can be defined by entering them directly, as shown in this tutorial), by addition to the research automatically upon importing a new experiment or nursery (see tutorials on importing experiments or nurseries), or by importing location names from an Excel sheet.
Importing Data With Special Excel Files: OverviewFor experiments or nurseries created or imported into AGROBASE Generation II, there are two main methods to import data into those experiments or nurseries. This tutorial demonstrates the fastest and most efficient method, using special Excel (or Calc for OpenOffice users) files that have the unique plot number from the research group imbedded within the spreadsheet for each record. With a few restrictions on the usage of such spreadsheets, you can then import your data back into the research group with only a few mouse clicks. Even for many experiments at the same time, or an entire location, and many thousands of data points. This is a powerful feature that you will want to use as often as possible.
Importing Data By RelationYou can import data into an experiment, trial or nursery that was created in, or imported into, AGROBASE Generation II. This tutorial will demonstrate an import method that uses an "index" for a relational connection to match the import records with those in the relational database. A typical index would use plot numbers, or the experiment name plus the plot numbers. Fields with data for import must exist in the experiment or nursery. You will also see how to import data by relation for an entire trial, location, or any group of experiments or nurseries. With some planning, you can import many thousands of data points into Generation II and save time using import profiles or templates. See also another tutorial that shows how to use special Excel files for a different import methodology. Duration: 15m28
Viewing DataAccessing and viewing your data is done easily from the research tree explorer. You can view experiments, for example, like an open spreadsheet. This tutorial will show you how to adjust the displayed columns or fields, sort, use filters and logical expressions, and many of the other capabilities for viewing data.
LabelsLabels can be readily designed for experiments, nurseries, seed storage, crossing tags, and much more. Starting from an Avery format label type, you can re-size it later, to design a number of types of labels for different purposes in your research program. The label layout window interface is very similar to that of the report generator, with “object tools” for database fields (or more complex expressions and functions), text, lines or boxes, and even image files wherein logos can appear on a label.
Data Transformations IInevitably, your data must be transformed or you need to make some calculations. For example, converting yield data as grams per plot to tons per hectare. Data transformations, or calculations, can be achieved several ways. In this tutorial, we will look at the Edit->Transform Field Data tool which works for experiments, nurseries, treatments, parents, populations, crosses, and more. Here, the newly transformed data will be stored in an existing field. This tutorial gives examples of numeric and character data transformations, some commonly used logical expressions and functions, the scope and context of transformations, and also data transformations within labels or reports.
Data Transformations II:Using Calculated TraitsThe first tutorial on data transformations covered the Edit->Transform Field Data method which directly replaced the contents of a data field. In this tutorial, we will show you how to create and use calculated traits, wherein data from other fields is used in calculations to store the new values in the new calculated traits. Calculated traits are computed every time an experiment or nursery is opened. So, if any of the data used in the calculated trait has been changed, correct and updated values will appear for the calculated traits.
Planting PlansExperiments, trials and nurseries are eventually planted in the field in plots, or maybe in a greenhouse in pots. The entries or genotypes are typically assigned to plot (or pot) numbers and often referenced by ranges (groups of plot planted side by side) and rows (or "columns" of plots perpendicular to ranges). The experiment planting plan tool generates field or plot plans, seed packet planting lists, and more, for laying out and planting experiments and nurseries.
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AGROBASE Generation II can perform analysis of variance for many different types of experimental designs, on single experiments or trials (multi-location experiments) across locations or years, or for non-replicated experiments. You can use statistical models and options supplied as defaults, or make and use your own. You can also use nearest-neighbors spatial analyses for yield trials.
Duration: 6min
Importing ParentsTreatments (hybrids, cultivars, etc.) or populations can be converted to parents, or appear also as parents for crossing in AGROBASE Generation II. However, in this tutorial we will show how new parental genotypes are initially imported. We will also show how you can subsequently import more data on parents already in the software system.
Creating Crosses - Method 1You can create crosses in AGROBASE Generation II three different ways. This tutorial will show the simplest way, where you just use a list of females and possibly females often referenced from a crossing block or pots in a greenhouse. This approach is quite flexible, but doesn't reference individual plants and uses only the most common breeding methods. For crosses involving more breeding methods and tracing individual female and male plants if needed, you would perform the crosses within a nursery.
Managing CrossesOnce crosses are created, they must be managed. That can involve grouping, deleting, or moving some or all crosses to another group or grouping of crosses. Ultimately, you must “confirm” crosses so that they become populations, which means that seed exists from a cross. The most frequent path is Crosses->Populations->Nursery. But remember, any genotype might appear in Generation II simultaneously as a treatment, parent, or population.
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Labels can be readily designed for experiments, nurseries, seed storage, crossing tags, and much more. Starting from an Avery format label type, you can re-size it later, to design a number of types of labels for different purposes in your research program. The label layout window interface is very similar to that of the report generator, with “object tools” for database fields (or more complex expressions and functions), text, lines or boxes, and even image files wherein logos can appear on a label.
Duration: 26m15
Barcodes are typically printed on labels, although they could also be printed on reports. To fully understand this tutorial, you should first watch the tutorial on labels. Three types of barcodes may be generated - Interleaved 2 of 5 ("25" or "2/5") for numeric values, or barcodes 39 or 128 for character values.
Duration: 9m42
Please be aware that these videos do not have sound, but may still be helpful in certain areas.
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Aspects of this page are under development. Please visit again soon to see newly added tutorials and videos.
