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A field trial was carried out to investigate the effect of mass of phosphate fertiliser applied on the growth of barley - Scottish Highers Biology - Question 11 - 2018
Question 11
A field trial was carried out to investigate the effect of mass of phosphate fertiliser applied on the growth of barley. The barley was planted in plots of equal are... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A field trial was carried out to investigate the effect of mass of phosphate fertiliser applied on the growth of barley - Scottish Highers Biology - Question 11 - 2018
Step 1
Randomise the treatment plots.
Answer
To account for varying soil moisture levels on the hillside, it is crucial to randomise the plots. Randomisation helps eliminate bias in the treatment allocation and ensures that each plot has an equal chance of receiving any given mass of fertiliser.
By randomising the treatment plots, the potential influence of higher moisture levels at the bottom of the hill on plant growth can be evenly distributed across different fertiliser treatments. This enhances the validity of the field trial results by mitigating confounding variables.