Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): In field experiments, the word 'replication' means doing something again in exactly the same way or repeating the treatments.
Reason (R): The $F_2$ seeds can not be replicated in the field experiment as the genotype of each seed in an $F_2$ generation is not the same and hence can't be repeated.
In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

• A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
• B. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A).
• C. (A) is true but (R) is false.
• D. (A) is false but (R) is true.

Hint:

Remember that replication is about statistical precision, while segregating populations (like \(F_2\)) show high genetic variability.
To replicate segregating material genetically, vegetative propagation or clonal duplication must be used.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In agricultural and biological field experiments, replication refers to the repetition of treatments across multiple experimental units to obtain a reliable estimate of experimental error and to increase precision.
In classical genetics, an \(F_2\) generation is a segregating population where chromosomal crossover and independent assortment result in a unique genetic combination for each individual seed.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The definition of replication in field experiments is a fundamental statistical principle.
Applying a treatment to multiple plots of land under the same conditions allows the researcher to control for micro-environmental variation.
Therefore, Assertion (A) is a true statement because replication fundamentally means repeating the treatment application under identical protocols.
Reason (R) addresses the genetic uniqueness of individual seeds in an \(F_2\) population.
Because every individual seed in an \(F_2\) generation is the result of a unique meiotic segregation, each seed possesses a distinct genotype.
As a result, a specific individual genotype within an \(F_2\) generation cannot be replicated by simply planting another seed from the same pool.
Thus, Reason (R) is also a scientifically true statement.
However, the genetic segregation described in Reason (R) is a biological constraint of segregating lines, whereas Assertion (A) is a general definition of statistical experimental design.
The genetic properties of the \(F_2\) generation do not explain the general definition or purpose of replication in statistics.
Therefore, both statements are true, but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).