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Working rules for determining the plot size and numbers of plots per block in field experiments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

C. S. Lin  and
M. R. Binns
C. S. Lin
Affiliation:
Engineering and Statistical Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada, KIA OC6
M. R. Binns
Affiliation:
Engineering and Statistical Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada, KIA OC6
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Summary

Working rules for determining plot size and number of plots within a block in field experiments are proposed based on the value of the intrablock correlation (ρ), which can be obtained from the analysis of variance of a randomized-block experiment. The method uses Binns' (1982) equation to relate this correlation to Smith's (1938) empirical law. The rules are: (1) if ρ is greater than 0·5, use an incomplete block design or reduce the plot size in order to increase the number of replications; (2) if ρ is less than 0·1, an increase in plot size is effective; (3) if ρ is between 0·1 and 0·5, an increase in plot size and a decrease in the number of plots per block may be helpful in combination.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 103 , Issue 1 , August 1984 , pp. 11 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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References

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