2.

Randomized Block Design In Randomized Block Design (RBD) :

a.

The plots (experimental units) are first classified into groups, or blocks, of plots that are as nearly alike as possible. The treatments are than assigned to the plots within blocks in such a way that each treatment accurs the same number of times, usually once, within each block.

b.

The objective of blocking is : To make the variation from plot to plot as small as possible within the block, while maximizing the variation among blocks. The RBD was applied when medium of experiment has single difference gradient. For example, gradient of fertility. Figure 7 illustrates the placement of blocks to avoid the effect of fertility gradient. Gradient of Fertility High Block I Block II Block III Low Fig.7. Placement of block with respect to a gradient 2.3.1 Advantages, Disadvantages, and Uses

There are a number of advantages in favor of a randomized block design : a. It can remove one source of variation from experimental error and thus increase precision. b. By placing blocks under different conditions it can broaden the scope of the trial.
c.

Any number of treatments and any number of blocks may be used. The only restriction is that each treatment must be replicated the same number of times in each block.

d. Statistical analysis of the results is fairly simple. Some disadvantages to this design : a. Missing data can cause some difficulty in the analysis. One or two missing plots can be handled fairly easily but numerous missing data can cause real problems.
b.

Assignment of treatments by mistake to plots in the wrong block can lead to problems in the analysis.

c. The design is less efficient than others in the presence of more than one source of unwanted variation. d. If the plots are uniform, the RBD is less efficient than the CRD. The RBD has a number of uses :

a.

It can be used to eliminate one source of unwanted variation. Often, it provides satisfactory precision without the need for a more complex design.

b. It provide unbias estimates of the means of the blocking factor. Hence these means can be estimated using the randomized block design.
2.3.2

Randomization

Contructing a RBD : a. The plots are grouped into blocks. b. Normally, the number of plots in each block is equal to the number of treatments, while the number of block is equal to the number of replications per treatment. c. Once the blocks have been formed, the treatments are assigned at random to the plots within the blocks. d. Randomization may be done either by lot or by using a random number table as described for the CRD. 2.3.3 Analysis a. Construct a table of totals and means. b. Compute the entries in an ANOVA table. c. Compute a CV. d. Conduct significance tests. e. Compute means and standard errors.

Table 8. Summary Table Data from a Randomized Block Design Treatment Block 1 2 3 . . . r Sum Mean 1 y11 y12 y13 . . . ytr y1. Y1. 2 y21 ... y21 .. y23 . . . . . p yp1 yp2 yp3 . . . ypr yp. yp. Sum y.1 y.2 y.3 . . . y.r y.. Mean y.1 y.2 y.3 . . . y.r Y Y

y2r . y2. y2.

Table 9. ANOVA for a Randomized Block Design Source of Variation Block Treatment Error Total F df r1 p1 (r-1)(p-1) rp 1 SS SSR SST SSE SSTot MS MSR MST MSE Calc. FR FT Table F5% F5%

Sum of square calculation : a. CF = y2../rp b. SSTot = y2ij CF

i j

c. SSR = (1/p)y2.j CF
j

d. SST = (1/r)y2i. CF
i

e. SSE = SSTot SSR SST Mean squares : Sum of squares is divided by their degrees of freedom. a. MSR = SSR/(r 1) b. MST = SST/(p 1) c. MSE = SSE/[(r-1)(p-1)] F calculation : MSE is the divisor for all F ratio. a. FR = MSR/MSE b. FT = MST/MSE CV (Coefficient of variation) : CV = (MSE/y) x 100% 2.3.4 Significance Tests To test the hypothesis that all treatment means are equal (H0) against the alternative hypothesis that at least one mean differ from the others (H1) is used F test. If FT is larger than the 1% F in th table, the differences are said to be highly significant(**). If FT is greater than the 5% F but smaller than the 1% F, the differences are significant.

If FT is smaller than the 5% F, the differences are not significant (NS). The same way can be used to test the differences between blocks. If FR is greater than the F in the table, it is indication that blocking has been effective in reducing experimental error. 2.3.5 Means and Standard Errors As with the CRD, in RBD the sample means estimate the true means of the treatments. i = i = yi./r Standard error of a treatment mean, s, is : S =

(MSE/r)
The (1-)100% confidence interval estimate of a

Since r is the same for all treatments, s is the same for all treatment. treatment mean, L(i), is : L(i) = (i) t (MSE/r) where t is the two tailed, -level t with (r 1)(p 1) df. Standard error of difference, sd , is : sd = (2MSE/r) the (1 )100% confidence interval estimate, L(i - i), of a difference is given by : L(i - i) = (i i) t (2MSE/r) where t is the two-tailed t with (r 1)(p 1) df.

To test the significant of the difference between two means : t = (i i)/(2MSE/r) compared with t with (r 1)(p 1) df. 2.3.6 Numerical Example An agronomist wanted to determine the effect of different sources of nitrogen on the yield of barley used as forage crop. There were 5 sources to be compared : (1). (NH4)2SO2 nitrogen. replications. Table 10. Yield (kg/plot) of forage barley under various sources of Nitrogen Replication Treat. 1 2 3 4 Total Mean 1 32,1 35,6 41,9 35,4 145,0 36,25 2 30,1 31,5 37,1 30,8 129,5 32,38 3 25,4 27,1 33,8 31,1 117,7 29,42 4 24,1 33,0 35,6 31,4 124,1 31,02 5 26,1 31,0 33,8 31,9 122,8 30,70 6 23,2 24,8 26,7 26,7 101,4 25,35 Total 161,0 183,3 208,9 187,3 740,5 Mean 26,83 30,55 34,82 31,22 30,85 (2). NH4NO3 (3). CO(NH2)2 (4). Ca(NO3)2 and (5). NaNO3. He also decided to use a control treatment with no The experiment was assigned in RBD with 4