Split-Plot Designs

By

H.M. Edi Armanto

Faculty of Agrotechnology and Food Science, UMT Malaysia

Understanding to Split-Plot Designs

Split-Plot Design is specifically suited for a two-factor

experiments. This is a FORM of a FACTORIAL EXPERIMENT, so the analysis is handled in much the same manner One factor is assigned to the MAIN PLOT. The assigned factor is called Main-Plot Factor The main plot is divided into SUBPLOTS to which the second factor Sub-Plot Factor Thus each Main Plot becomes a Block for the Sub-Plot Treatments With a Split-Plot Design, the precision for the measurement of the Main-Plot effect is SACRIFICED to improve those of the Sub-Plot Factors

Variations of Split-Plot Designs

1) Split-plot arrangement of treatments could be

used in a CRD, RCBD or Latin Square

2) Could extend the same principles to

accommodate another factor in a split-split plot (3-way factorial)

3) Could add another factor without an additional

split (3-way factorial, split-plot arrangement of treatments)

Reasons to use Split-Plot Designs (1)

1. DEGREE of PRECISION. For a greater degree of precision for Factor B than those for Factor A, assign Factor B to Sub-Plot and Factor A to Main-Plot Example 1: Plant Breeder plans to test 10 rice varieties with 3 fertilizer levels in a 10x3 factorial experiment. They would wish to have greater precision for varietal comparison than those for the fertilizer responds. They designate Variety as the Sub-Plot Factor and the Fertilizer as the Main Plot Factor. However, in other case Example 2: We wish to study fertilizer responds of 10 rice varieties (developed by Plant Breeder). We would have greater precision for fertilizer responds than those for varietal effects. Thus, we designate Fertilizer as the SubPlot Factor and the Variety as the Main Plot factor.

Reasons to use Split-Plot Designs (2)

2. RELATIVE SIZE of the MAIN EFFECTS. If the main effect of Factor B is expected to be much larger and easier to detect than those of Factor A, thus Factor B is assigned to Main-Plot and Factor A to Sub-Plot. This increases the chance of detecting the difference among level of Factor A which has a smaller effect. 3. MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. For practical purposes, maybe such factor should be assigned to the Main-Plot.

Split-Plot Designs
Usually used with factorial sets when the assignment of

treatments at random can cause difficulties Large scale machinery required for one factor but not another
irrigation tillage

Plots that receive the same treatment must be grouped together

For a treatment such as planting date, it may be necessary to group treatments to facilitate field operations In a main crop growth factor experiment, some treatments must be applied to the whole main crop growth factors (light regime, humidity, temperature), so the main crop growth factors become the main plot

Different size requirements

The split plot is a design which allows the levels

of one factor to be applied to large plots while the levels of another factor are applied to small plots
Large plots are WHOLE PLOTS or MAIN PLOTS Smaller plots are SPLIT PLOTS or SUBPLOTS

Randomization
Levels of the whole-plot factor are randomly

assigned to the main plots, using a different randomization for each block (for an RCBD)
Levels of the subplots are randomly assigned

within each main plot using a separate randomization for each main plot

Randomizaton
Block I
T3
V3 V1

Block II
T2
V2 V4

T1
V4 V1

T1
V1 V3

T3
V2 V1

T2
V3 V4

V2
V4

V3
V2

V3
V1

V2
V4

V3
V4

V1
V2

T: Tillage treatments are main plots (3 main plots) V: Varieties are the subplots (4 Split-Plots) Two Blocks (Block I and Block II)

Split-Plot Experimental Designs

This experiment has two factors: genotype and

fertilizer amount.
Genotype has levels A, B, and C. Fertilizer has levels 0, 50, 100, 150 kg N/ha.

Genotype is called the Main-Plot Factor because

its levels are randomly assigned to whole plots.

Fertilizer is called the split-plot factor because its

levels are randomly assigned to split plots within each whole plot.
10

Split-Plot Experimental Designs

Field
Block 1

Plot

Genotype C
0 100 150 50

Genotype A
50 100 150 0

Genotype B
150 100 50 0 Split Plot or Sub Plot

Block 2

Genotype B
150 100 50 0

Genotype A
0

Genotype C
0

50 150 100 100 50 150

Genotype A
Block 3
100 50 Block 4 0

Genotype B

Genotype C
50 100 150 0

0 150 0 100 150 50

Genotype B

Genotype C
0

Genotype A
50 150 100 0
11

50 100 150 150 100 50

Experimental Errors
Because there are two sizes of plots, there are

two experimental errors - one for each size plot

Usually the sub plot error is smaller and has

more df (degree of freedom)

Therefore the main plot factor is estimated with

LESS PRECISION than those of the subplot and interaction effects

Precision is an important consideration in

deciding which factor to assign to the main plot

Advantages
Permits the efficient use of some factors that

require different sizes of plot for their application

Permits the introduction of new treatments into

an experiment that is already in progress

Disadvantages
Main plot factor is estimated with less precision

so larger differences are required for significance may be difficult to obtain adequate df for the main plot error
Statistical analysis is more complex because

different standard errors are required for different comparisons

Uses
In experiments where different factors require

different size plots

To introduce new factors into an experiment that

is already in progress

Data Analysis
This is a FORM of a FACTORIAL EXPERIMENT,

so the analysis is handled in much the same manner

We will estimate and test the appropriate main

effects and interactions

Analysis proceeds as follows: Construct tables of means Complete an analysis of variance Perform significance tests Compute means and standard errors Interpret the analysis

Split-Plot Analysis of Variance

Source
Total Block A Error(a) B

df
rab-1 r-1 a-1 (r-1)(a-1) b-1

SS
SSTot SSR SSA SSEA SSB

MS
MSR MSA MSEA MSB

F
FR FA
Main plot error

FB

AB
Error(b)

(a-1)(b-1)
a(r-1)(b-1)

SSAB
SSEB

MSAB
MSEB

FAB
Subplot error

Computations
Only the error terms are different from the usual

two- factor analysis

SSTot

SSR
SSA SSEA

ab k Y..k Y
i i..

rb Y

i j k Yijk Y

b i k Yi.k Y ra j Y. j. Y r i j Yij. Y

SSB
SSAB SSEB

SSA SSR

SSA SSB

SSTot - SSR - SSA - SSEA - SSB - SSAB

F Ratios
F ratios are computed somewhat differently

because there are two errors

FR=MSR/MSEA

tests the effectiveness of blocking

FA=MSA/MSEA
FB=MSB/MSEB

tests the sig. of the A main effect

tests the sig. of the B main effect

FAB=MSAB/MSEB tests the sig. of the AB interaction

Standard Errors of Treatment Means

Factor A Means

MSEA/rb MSEB/ra

Factor B Means

Treatment AB Means

MSEB/r

SE of Differences
Differences between 2 A means
2MSEA/rb with (r-1)(a-1) df

Differences between 2 B means

2MSEB/ra with a(r-1)(b-1) df

Differences between B means at same level of A

2MSEB/r with a(r-1)(b-1) df e.g. YA1B1 -YA1B2

Difference between A means at same or different level of B

e.g. YA1B1 -YA2B1

or YA1B1 - YA2B2

2[(b-1)MSEB + MSEA]/rb with [(b-1)MSEB+MSEA]2 df [(b-1)MSEB]2 + MSEA2 a(r-1)(b-1) (a-1)(r-1)

Interpretation
Much the same as a two-factor factorial:
First test the AB interaction If it is significant, the Main Effects have no Meaning even if they test Significant Summarize in a two-way table of AB means
If AB interaction is not significant Look at the significance of the main effects Summarize in one-way tables of means for factors with significant main effects

Example 1: Split-Plot Designs

Upland paddy experiment in the fields

A paddy breeder wanted to determine the effect

of planting date on the yield of four varieties of upland paddy (ton/ha). The research was applied in 3 blocks (I, II, III)
Two factors of treatments: Planting date (Oct 1, Nov 1, Dec 1) Variety (V1, V2, V3, V4) Because of the machinery involved, planting

dates were assigned to the main plots

Comparison with conventional RBD

With a split-plot, there is better precision for sub-plots than

for main plots, but neither has as many error df as with a conventional factorial There may be some gain in precision for subplots and interactions from having all levels of the subplots in close proximity to each other Split plot
Source Total Block Date Error (a) Variety Var x Date Error (b) df 35 2 2 4 3 6 18

Conventional
Source Total Block Date Variety Var x Date Error df 35 2 2 3 6 22

Raw Data of Field Research

I D1 D2 D3 Variety 1 25 30 17 II D1 D2 D3 31 32 20 III D1 D2 D3 28 28 19

Variety 2
Variety 3 Variety 4

19 24 20
22 19 12 11 15 8

14 20 16
20 18 17 14 13 13

16 24 20
17 16 15 14 19 8

D: Planting date (Oct 1, Nov 1, Dec 1) V: Variety (V1, V2, V3, V4) I, II & III: Block

Construct two-way tables

Block
Date I II III Mean

Date

1
2 3

19.25
22.00 14.25

19.75
20.75 16.50

18.75
21.75 15.50

19.25
21.50 15.42

Block x Date Means

Mean 18.50

19.00
Date

18.67
V1 28.00

18.72
V2 16.33 V3 19.67

Variety
V4 13.00 Mean 19.25

Variety x Date Means Date

2
3

30.00
18.67

22.67
18.67 19.22

17.67
14.67 17.33

15.67
9.67 12.78

21.50
15.42 18.72

Mean 25.56

ANOVA
Source
Total Block Date Error (a) Variety Var x Date Error (b)

df
35 2 2 4 3 6 18

SS
1267.22 1.55 227.05 14.12 757.89 146.28 120.33

MS
0.78 113.53 3.53 252.63 24.38 6.68

F
0.22 ns 32.16** 37.82** 3.65*

**/ Very significant */ Significant

ns/ Not significant

Report and Summarization

Variety
Date Oct1 1 28.00 2 16.33 3 19.67 4 13.00 Mean 19.25

Nov1
Dec1 Mean

30.00
18.67 25.55

22.67
18.67 19.22

17.67
14.67 17.33

15.67
9.67 12.78

21.50
15.42 18.72

Standard errors: Date=0.542; Variety=0.862; Variety x Date=1.492

Visualizing Interactions
30
Mean Yield (kg/plot) 25 20 15 V1 V2 V3

V4
10 5

2 Planting Date

Interpretation
1) Differences among varieties depended on planting date 2) Even so, variety differences and date differences were

very significant
3) Except for variety 3, each variety produced its maximum

yield when planted on November 1. WHY????? Explain it in details.

4) On the average, the highest yield at every planting date

was achieved by Variety 1 WHY????? Give logical reasons !!!!!

5) Variety 4 produced the lowest yield for each planting

date. WHY????? Give scientific reasons !!!!!

Many thanks for your attention

Thats All for Now

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