An international network
of experiments

1. You must fill out your 'Plot Layout' file and send it to the LegacyNet Directors in advance odetaf establishment (allowing time for discussion, should it be needed), the template is available here.
2. You must read the LegacyNet Protocol in detail, it is available here. If your plans deviate at all from the protocol, you must discuss this with LegacyNet Directors well in advance of establishment.
3. You should familiarise yourself with the Data Recording Spreadsheet file, it is available here. All sites must record their data in this common data recording file.
4. You should read the list of questions below and discuss your answers with the LegacyNet Directors well in advance of establishment.

Before establishing your experiment, please go through this mini checklist that highlights some of the main considerations:

1. Can your six species be characterised into two grasses, two legumes and two herbs?
2. Is your choice of species for G1 a commonly used grass in your region? This is important because G1 is the only speices that is sown in monoculture at a high N fertiliser rate and so it should be a suitable point of reference for your region.
3. Do you have enough space in your experimental field for the minimum of 52 plots?
4. Are your plots large enough to meet the recommended plot size of 3m x 5m = 15m2 (for a grass follow-on crop) and 3m x 7m = 21m2 (for a cereal follow-on crop)?
5. Have you formally prepared a randomisation of the 52 experimental communities to the plots in your experimental field?
6. Have you ordered enough seed for establishing the grassland plots? We have provided a Seed Weight Calculator file to assist with with calculating the amount of seed required for each species. The Seed Weight Calculator file is available here.
7. Do you have a schedule for harvesting and have you identified which harvests will be sorted into species?
8. Do you have facilities to dry the samples as required?
9. What follow-on crop will you use?
10. When will you destruct the grassland stage to sow the follow-on crop and will the grassland stage have a duration of at least 18 months?
11. When will you harvest the follow-on crop?
12. Do you have the resources to pay for the forage quality analyses that are required?