Elements of

Experimentation
 Introduction

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“In agricultural research, the key
questions to be answered are generally
expressed as a statement of hypothesis
that has to be verified or disapproved
through experimentation”.
 Introduction
EXAMPLE 1:
 Filipino maize breeder who is apprehensive about the low rate
of adoption of new high-yielding hybrids by farmers in the
Province of Mindanao, a major maize-growing area in the
Philippines. He visits the maize-growing areas in Mindanao
and observes that high breeds are more vigorous and more
productive than the native varieties in disease-free areas.
However, in many fields infested with downy mildew, a
destructive and prevalent maize disease in the area, the
hybrids are substantially more severely diseased than the
native varieties. The breeder suspects, and therefore
hypothesizes, that the new hybrids are not widely grown in
Mindanao primarily because they are more susceptible to
downy mildew than the native varieties
 Introduction
EXAMPLE 2:

 A rice crop removes more nitrogen from the soil than is

naturally replenished during one growing season. One
may, therefore, hypothesize that in order to maintain a
high productivity level on any rice farm, supplementary
nitrogen must be added to every crop.
 Introduction
Four Phases:

1. Selecting the appropriate materials to test

2. Specifying the characters to measure
3. Selecting the procedure to measure those
characters
4. Specifying the procedure to determine
whether the measurements made support
the hypothesis
 Introduction
Four Phases:
Term as design of
1. Selecting the appropriate materials to test
an experiment.
2. Specifying the characters to measure
3. Selecting the procedure to measure those
characters
4. Specifying the procedure to determine
whether the measurements made support
the hypothesis
 Design of Experiment
Three essential components:

1. Estimate of error
2. Control of error
3. Proper interpretation of results
 A. Estimate of Error
“Consider a plant breeder who
wishes to compare the yield of a
new rice variety A to that of a
standard variety B of known and
tested properties. He lays out two
plots of equal size, side by side,
and sows one to variety A and the
This certainly is NOT TRUE. Even if the same
other to variety B. Grain yield for
variety
each plot were planted
is then on both
measured plots, the yield would
and the
differ.with
variety Other factors,
higher such
yield as soil , fertility, moisture,
is judged
asand
better”.
damage by insects, disease, and birds also
affect rice yields.
 A. Estimate of Error
 The plant breeder/researcher must be able to design
an experiment that allows him to decide whether the
difference observed is caused by varietal difference or
by other factors.
 The difference among experimental plots treated alike
is called Experimental Error. This error is the primary
basis for deciding whether an observed difference is
real or just due to chance.
 Clearly, every experiment must be designed to have a
measure of the experimental error.
 A. Estimate of Error
1. Replication

At least two plots of the same variety are needed

to determine the difference among plots treated
alike, experimental error can be measured only if
there are at least two plots planted to the same
variety (or receiving the same treatment). Thus,
to obtain a measure of experimental error,
replication is needed.
 A. Estimate of Error
2. Randomization

Ensures that each variety will have an equal

chance of being assigned to any experimental
plot and, consequently, of being grown in any
particular environment existing in the
experimental site.
 A. Estimate of Error
2. Randomization
If the area has a unidirectional fertility gradient so that there is a
gradual reduction of productivity from left to right, variety B would then be
handicapped because it is always on the right side of variety a and always
in a relatively less fertile area. Thus, the comparison between the yield
performances of variety A and variety B would the yield difference between
the two varieties would be due to difference in the fertility levels and not to
the varietal difference.
To avoid such bias, varieties must be assigned to
experimental plots so that a particular variety is
not consistently favored or handicapped. This can
be achieved by randomly assigning varieties to
the experimental plots.
 B. Control of Error

1. Blocking
2. Proper plot technique
3. Data analysis
 B. Control of Error
1. Blocking

By putting experimental units that are as similar as

possible together in the same group and by assigning
all treatments into each block separately and
independently, variation among blocks can be
measured and removed from experimental error.

In field experiments where substantial variation

within an experimental field can be expected,
significant reduction in experimental error is usually
achieved with the use of proper blocking
 B. Control of Error
2. Blocking
 B. Control of Error
Proper Plot Technique
 B. Control of Error
3. Data Analysis

 In cases where blocking alone may not be able to

achieve adequate control of experimental error, proper
choice of data analysis can help greatly.

 Covariance analysis is most commonly used for this

purpose. the characters whose functional relationships
to the character of primary interest are known-the
analysis of covariance can reduce the variability among
experimental units by adjusting their values to a
common value of the covariates.
Thank you!