Application of Statistical Techniques in Soil Research

A good research on soil science needs some basic ideas about different statistical tools. May it be pedology or edaphological study, statistics confirms the robustness of test as well as helps to comprehend the outcome. This chapter tries to explain some basic statistical tools with few examples of their possible applications in soil research. Within limited scope, coverage of topics has been restricted from central tendency and dispersion to different test of significance only. The importance and differences among tests of significance (t, Z, F, χ2) and analysis of variance techniques (ANOVA, MANOVA, ANCOVA) have been discussed in terms of their practical applicability. In addition, the initiation of any problem with the construction of hypothesis and solving that problem with approval/disapproval of hypothesis has been detailed.