The importance of independent replication of treatments in plant science

Among other foci, the Journal of Experimental Botany aims to advance understanding of plant-environment interactions, including abiotic stress, mineral nutrition, and the response of plants to global change. Advancing understanding in these areas often requires manipulation of the growth environment. Experiments range in scale and include: growth chambers (Yiotis et al., 2020), glasshouses (Rho et al., 2019), whole-plant chambers (Sharwood et al., 2017), and open-air field experiments (Ruiz-Vera et al., 2020). The application of environmental manipulations can be constrained by available resources, operational costs, and time. In designing experiments, researchers attempt to balance logistical challenges with the desire to address scientific questions and maximize statistical power.

Automated summary

The Journal of Experimental Botany aims to advance understanding of plant-environment interactions, which often involves manipulating the growth environment. However, the application of environmental manipulations can be constrained by available resources, operational costs, and time. Researchers strive to balance logistical challenges with the desire to address scientific questions and maximize statistical power when designing experiments.