Question

Replication in an experiment provides :

• A. the estimate of experimental error
• B. impetus to the treatments
• C. check to the variation in soil fertility
• D. Bias reduction

Hint:

Remember the functions of the three principles:
- Replication \(\implies\) Estimates experimental error and increases precision.
- Randomization \(\implies\) Eliminates subjective bias and ensures validity.
- Local Control \(\implies\) Reduces experimental error by blocking.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
According to Ronald A. Fisher, the three basic principles of experimental design are replication, randomization, and local control.
Each principle plays a unique role in ensuring the validity and accuracy of an experiment.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Replication refers to the repeated application of a treatment to more than one experimental unit.
Without replication, we cannot distinguish whether a difference in yield between two treatments is due to the treatments themselves or due to natural variation among the experimental units.
Replication serves two primary functions:
1. It provides an estimate of the experimental error (the natural, unexplained variation among identically treated units). This error estimate is necessary to conduct significance tests (like the F-test) and construct confidence intervals.
2. It increases the precision of the experiment by reducing the standard error of the treatment means.
Let us review the other options:
- Impetus to treatments (B) is not a scientific term.
- Soil fertility variation (C) is controlled by the principle of local control (blocking).
- Bias reduction (D) is achieved by the principle of randomization.
Thus, providing an estimate of the experimental error is the primary purpose of replication.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct option is (A).