Performing a Split-Split Plot Analysis of the Effect of Specie, Fertilizer and Pesticide Types on the Weights of Water Leaf Shoots

This research work has carried out a split-split plot analysis of the effect of specie, fertilizer type and pesticide types on the weights of water leaf shoots. The research work used data collected from a research farm located at No. 10 Access School Road, Atimbo, Calabar, that was constructed by the researcher for this purpose. The data gave information on the types of fertilizers used (organic – cow dung, and inorganic – NPK), the waterleaf species planted on the plots (that is, Virginia, Broad-leaf and large-leaf waterleaf), and the pesticide types used (none and neem extract). However, a plot was left as a control plot. The literature review showed an absence of a study which had considered the simultaneous impact of fertilizer types, waterleaf species and pesticide types on the weight of waterleaf, as they either studied the impact of these factors on waterleaf growth independently or viewed growth of water leaf in terms of height (not weight, being the case of this study). Thus, this study was significant on this premise. The ANOVA table computed in the study has shown clearly that the whole plot (waterleaf species), the subplot (fertilizer type), and the sub-sub-plot (pesticide types) were not accurately chosen as the sub-sub-plot error was greater than the subplot error which was in in turn greater than the whole plot error. The research showed that the sub-sub-plot should have been the whole plot, the fertilizer types could maintain its status as the sub-plot, but the whole plot should have been the sub-sub-plot. As recommendations, based on the findings of this study, prospective scholars are encouraged to attempt the factorial analysis approach to this experiment, with regards to making comparisons with our results for deeper theoretical and practical conclusions. This will, indeed go a long way to making contributions to the field of experimental designs.