Nov 03, 2025
Version 2
Converting interview-based crop field histories into synthetic "cultivation practices" variables using R V.2
- 11PEPA lab: Plant Ecology, ecoPhysiology and sustainable Agriculture, Earth & Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Ecosystem Services indicators
Protocol Citation: Lola Leveau 2025. Converting interview-based crop field histories into synthetic "cultivation practices" variables using R. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.kxygx43m4l8j/v2Version created by Lola Leveau
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: November 02, 2025
Last Modified: November 03, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 231353
Keywords: Cultivation practices, Agricultural practices, crop field, fertilization, tillage, pesticides, cultivated diversity, rotation, harvested crop, cover crop, variables, indicators, Rmarkdown, automated, interview, belgium, based crop field history, crop field history, year cultivation history of crop field, farmer interviews in an excel file, year cultivation history, agricultural operation, crop during that period, cultivation practice, farmer interview, crop, years of data, converting interview, reference data, history, automated method
Abstract
This protocol proposes an automated method for converting ten years of data on agricultural operations in a crop field into a series of variables that synthesize the cultivation practices applied to the crop during that period.
The two attached files allow you to (i) store the ten-year cultivation history of crop fields collected from farmer interviews in an Excel file and (ii) automatically synthesize these histories into a series of "cultivation practices" variables using an RMarkDown script. Although the files were designed for the Belgian context of 2023, they can be adapted for other countries and years by modifying the reference data.
Materials
- Paper timeline for recording agricultural operations during farmer interviews: one paper sheet per year, with a table showing months as columns and types of operations (harvested crops, cover crops, fertilization, pesticides, soil tillage) as rows.
- The excel file "AgriculturalOperations.xlsx", for encoding data from the paper timeline.
- The Rmarkdown file "Cultivation_Practices_IndicatorCalculation.Rmd", for automatically synthesizing the data from the Excel file into a series of "Cultivation practices" variables.
Safety warnings
The files were originally designed for the Belgian agricultural context of 2023, so reference data (like fertilizer compositions and authorized pesticide doses) must be adapted if the method is used in another context.
Ethics statement
This protocol was originally developed for use in Belgium, where it does not require formal IRB approval, as it involves no personal or sensitive data collection. It consists of retrospective interviews with farmers about crop management practices applied to specific fields over the past ten years.
Before applying this protocol, ensure that:
- Only technical information about field management is collected (e.g., crop types, sowing dates, tillage operations).
- No personal identifiers or sensitive data (e.g., names, addresses, financial information) are recorded.
- Participants are clearly informed of the purpose of the study and give their explicit, informed, and voluntary consent.
- Interview data is stored and processed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if used within the European Union.
- Approval or consultation with your institution’s ethics board or data protection officer is obtained, if required.
Before start
Precise guidelines are detailed in the "Data description" sheet of the Excel file "AgriculturalOperations.xlsx". Read it completely before beginning interviews.
General steps
Collect all the agricultural operations that happened in a crop field over the last ten years during a directed interview with the farmer cultivating it.
Encode these operations in the excel file "AgriculturalOperations.xlsx".
Run the Rmarkdown file "Cultivation_Practices_IndicatorCalculation.Rmd" to turn these operations into a series of "Cultivation practices" variables.