Biometry: Application and Limitation | Statistics

In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Meaning of Biometry 2. Application of Biometry 3. Limitation.

Meaning of Biometry:

Statistics is a branch of science which deals with methods of collection, classification and analysis, i.e., drawing inferences from collected data; then testing of hypothesis and making comment on these.

The statistics can be applied in all scientific branches like social, physical and bio­logical. The use of statistics in Biology is known as Biostatistics or Biometry. It deals with the application of different statistical methods and analysis of data collected from biological system.

Application of Biometry:

In biological system, it is very difficult to draw any concrete conclusion about any happening, as there is much difference among the individuals. Such as in the same plant, the leaves are all different; again in a field, all the same kind of plants are not identical; in the same place, the same crop does not respond equally in different plots. So it is very difficult to reach at a definite and reliable conclusion unless we take the help of statistical analysis of the observed data.

In case of plant breeding, the application of biometry has immense importance, as the statistical analysis only helps to conclude about a population of plant; such as:

(a) How the character, which is acquired by the population, is distributed, how the character is being inherited, etc.

(b) Whether two characters in a population are correlated or not, if correlated, how much they are correlated.

(c) In case of plant breeding whether Mendelian Genetics is being followed or not, can be tested by chi-square test.

(d) The application of fertilizer or irrigation or any kind of cultural practice can be effectively justified by application of test of significance.

(e) The laws of probability is of importance in genetics for forecasting the chance of obtaining certain result from a cross and elucidating the operation of ge­netic principle.

(f) The effects of two or more different fertilizer application on the same field can be analysed by analysis of variance.

(g) Study of alleles of genes in populations and the factors which maintain or change the frequencies of particular genotype in populations can be studied.

Limitation of Biometry:

(a) All the conclusions about statistical analysis depend on the availability of sample data. If the sampling is biased, the analysis will be eronotic.

(b) Statistics can be used and applied only on collective data, not on individual data.

(c) Statistical laws are always true in case of large population on the average, not on the small sample.