Conceptual diagram of the experimental design of the Syppre’s experimental network. It is a simplified representation of the components and their interactions in a given year. It is based on the models presented by (Zuur et al., 2009) in order to translate the physical and technical components of the system experiment into statistical components. The block 1 structure is representative of the two other blocks (repetition of the experiment), and the CHA (Champagne) platform is representative of the four other platforms (BEA: Béarn, BER: Berry, LAU: Lauragais, PIC: Picardie). Plots are elementary units on which measurements are made. They were randomly assigned to a cropping system. An initial crop was randomly assigned to each plot at the beginning of the experiment. All crops follow each other on each plot across the years according to the crop sequence. In order to retain the diagram’s clarity, the randomization of the experimental layout is not presented.