Accurate field plot labelling is essential for conducting reliable agricultural research. Proper labelling helps ensure that data collection remains organised, treatments are correctly identified, and field trials yield meaningful results. But how do you choose the right products for your trial setup?
In this article, we’ll walk you through the different types of field labels and markers available at Trial Supplies, how to use them effectively, and why clear labelling is critical for successful field research.
Where to Start: Setting up the site (aka ‘pegging it out’)
The best way to establish a field site with numerous treatments and replicates, will depend on a number of factors:
- Are you working in row crops such as cotton or vegetables?
- Are there GPS guided remnant lines (furrows, stubble) already visible in a broad acre field?
- Are you working in vine or tree crops, or is your planting equipment equipped with GPS guidance?
We can generally split the ‘pegging of the site’ into 2 broad camps. A site with pre-existing guides such as a vineyard, orchard, row cropping, or using GPS guided tractors. Or the second category which is a blank field with little to no reference points to guide your plot placements. Either way, this guide will help instruct you on how to quickly and accurately set-up your site to impress and inform all those who come to view (or just for your own symmetric viewing pleasure!).
Equipment Available
1. Trial Pegs (Field Pegs)
Used For: Marking out individual plot corners or areas of interest.
Key Benefits:
- Sturdy, yet can flex underneath spray booms and vehicles that may need to drive over them.
- UV treated plastic coated fibreglass rods that will not crack over the years, which means no nasty fibreglass splinters when you push and pull them out of the ground each season.
- Come in a range of colours including Yellow, Pink or Red to help with visibility.
- Available in 1.2, 1.5 or 1.8 m heights (we can also cut them to any size depending on the project you have in mind). Different widths are also available to suit your project. I.e. 10 mm for staking vines or trees.
Handy Tip: Use flagging tape to increase visibility or mark every 5th peg with flagging tape to aid in counting treatments.
2. Trial Peg Flags (Field Flags)
Used For: High-visibility marking of trial boundaries or points of interest.
Key Benefits:
- Bright and easy to spot, helping researchers quickly identify plot boundaries from a distance. This also helps other individuals such as growers or contractors to avoid spraying over, harvesting or driving through the trial site.
- Ideal for identifying moisture probes, varietal changes, field hazards and more (no more star picket with a drum needed!).
- Australian Made.
3. Pin Markers
Used For: Marking out individual plot corners or areas of interest.
Key Benefits:
- High-quality, Australian-made with durable high-tensile wire.
- Resists fading and weather damage.
- Sturdy design prevents plastic tabs from popping off the wire when pulled.
- Available in convenient 500-pack discounts.
Now to Peg it Out!
The Trial Pegs (+ Flags) and Pin Markers are the common tools used to identify plot boundaries and mark out individual plot corners to assist with application and assessments. The Trial Pegs are useful due to their colour and height, which can remain visible above the crop as it grows taller during the season. Pin Markers are very useful where a taller option is not required and provide a lower cost option to identify numerous points of interest, i.e. a particular weed in a fallow field trial. Tree or vine crops can simply utilise a pin marker placed next to the trunk, or flagging tape tied around the trunk. Both can have the treatment or plot number directly written on them with a permanent marker.
When marking out sites with existing reference points, usually a tape measure is all that’s needed to accurately mark out the treatments. Trial Supplies provides a 120 m Tape Measure that has metric measurements on both sides (so no imperial markings staring at you when trying to place a Trial Peg every 2 m), plus a 3X geared mechanism that winds the tape up extremely quickly. Examples of this site include row crops such as corn, sorghum, cotton or vegetables.
When setting up a site in a field with no reference points, it can be useful to use our Right Angle Sight Glass to square off the site. Or for those who paid attention in trigonometry class, here is where you can finally put that knowledge to use! The 3, 4, 5 rule will create a 90° right angle which means your trial site is now square. To achieve this, simply measure out 3 and 4 m as per the image below, ensuring that there is 5 m between the 2 points. You now have a perfect right angle to measure the rest of your plots off! For improved accuracy, you can use a 6, 8, 10 rule.
Handy Tip: Once the Trial Peg is pushed into the ground, bending it back over and pushing the top into the ground, allows the tape measure to be pulled against the base and it will not slip up and over the peg. This is useful for pulling the tape out say 100 m, to then mark plots every 2 m, or in the 3, 4, 5 rule above, one tape measure can be used with a Trial Peg on each corner to enable the tape to be pulled through around the corner.
In the field with no reference points, once the site is squared off and the first row of Trial Pegs or Pin Markers are in position, then measure and mark out perpendicular to your plot 101, the first (and last) peg for each range (usually your replicates), on both sides of the trial. This means that when you then pull your tape out to mark all your pegs in the 2nd replicate/range, this will be perfectly squared off to the 1st row of pegs and all plot lengths will be the same.
Labelling your Treatments
Now that we have the site pegged out, we can get started on labelling our treatments so ourselves and visitors know exactly what we are viewing. This means we can spend more time inspecting the plots and less time juggling a potentially confusing trial map. There are 2 main types of Field Plant Labels that we can use to label our treatments, the flat face type, or the in-built card holder type. Both are extremely durable and Australian Made (which we love), and both come in a variety of colours and sizes.
1. Flat Face Field Plant Labels
Best For: Quick and easy labelling with a permanent marker, or attaching a sticker to.
Optional Accessories: Secure a display card (or your own laminated label) using our field plant label clamps.
Key Benefits:
- Angled head for easy viewing
- Cost-effective
- Comes in a wide range of colours and sizes
2. In-Built Card Holder Labels
Best For: Trials requiring detailed information that may need to be changed or updated.
How To Use: Slide a display card into the in-built card holding for clear, professional labelling.
Key Benefits: In-Built tabs allow cards to be affixed with no clamp required
Summary of Equipment Available
To ensure your field research remains well-organised and easy to manage, here’s a breakdown of everything available:
✅ Trial Pegs – Durable, tall and highly visible.
✅ Trial Peg Flags – Make your sites stand out in the field.
✅ Pin Markers – Versatile and high quality low cost option.
✅ 120 m Tape Measure – Metric on both sides and geared for easy winding.
✅ Right Angle Sight Glass – Square off your sites with ease.
✅ Flagging Tape – Easily mark points of interest.
✅ Flat-Face Field Plant Labels – Angled head to write directly on or affix a sticker.
✅ Field Plant Label Clamps – Securely attach a display card to the flat face Field Plant Labels.
✅ In-Built Card Holder Field Plant Labels – For easily affixing cards containing the treatment information.
✅ Display Cards – Compatible with in-built card holders and flat face labels.
In Summary
Labelling field plots correctly is an essential step in conducting accurate and reliable field trials. By choosing high-quality, durable markers and labels, you can ensure that your research remains organised and easy to interpret.
Trial Supplies offers everything you need to mark your field plots efficiently. If you have a question about which products are most suitable for your circumstances, or wish to discuss any of these products in more detail, please contact our team today.
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