Knowledge management in Westsik's crop rotation experiment.

Knowledge management is an approach for addressing the information. It includes the practice of capturing, storing and sharing knowledge and is vital to improve the quality. The best known and most remarkable example of continuous production in Hungary is the Westsik’s crop rotation experiment established in 1929, which is still in use to study the effects of organic manure treatment, develop models and predict the likely effects of different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields. Such experiments are costly to maintain, but their cost can easily be justified if they serve a number of different objectives and provide data to improve agricultural practice. In this respect, Westsik’s crop rotation experiment provides data of immediate value to farmers concerning the applications of green, straw and farmyard manure. The experiment also provides a resource of yield, plant and soil data sets for scientific research, into plant and soil processes which control soil fertility, or into the sustainability of production. Moreover, maintenance of Westsik’s crop rotation experiment can also be used to illustrate the value of knowledge management for the farmers of Nyirseg region. Westsik crop rotation experiment is an important example for standardized approach in improving the competitiveness of the agricultural production and environmental consideration. It should be considered as a reference to sustainable agricultural production for improving the economy, environment and the countryside as the application of knowledge is vital in diversification of the rural economy and to improve the quality of life in rural areas. There are different models of knowledge. The way of Vilmos Westsik is to "Go to the field, look at the thing, and understand the processes." He also thinks that theories is important and says to colleagues „Go to the field,” and repeat five times "why" in order to look beyond for the essence. The knowledge management does not stop there as the farmers have collective discipline of "not yet". This means constant development of practices beyond compromises. Field day is an important factor of knowledge management, where context is shared. In field day farmers are coming together with ideas, thoughts, they share their context, and they engage themselves in real dialogue. It is not a formal meeting and everyone is committed to create knowledge.