ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, ANOVA (analysis of variance) was introduced with the simplest of experimental designs, the completely randomized design, which is analyzed with the one-way ANOVA. However, there can be more than one predictive or treatment effect in a design. Probably the most common method of analyzing agricultural experiments is the randomized complete block design (RCBD). In this design, replications are arranged into blocks to reduce experimental error that may occur because of differences in field location. Often the terms replication and blocks are used interchangeably so that a researcher might refer to an experiment with x treatments and y replications with one replication occurring in each block. There are experiments, as we will see later, that can have both replications and blocks. Keep this in mind so you won’t be confused as we look later at more complex designs.
