Addressing the essential issues required to undertake satisfactory comparative agricultural and ecological experiments, this text omits the mathematical and computational complexities of the traditional treatment of experimental design. Instead it offers an integrated presentation, with the focus strongly placed on the planning and execution of experiments, without tempting readers to become lost in the numerous theoretical and algebraic procedures along the way.;A brief and informal overview of the scope of analytical methods is given to provide a background for planning strategies. The power of computer simulation techniques and use of residual maximum likelihood to increase the efficiency of experimental resources is discussed in detail, along with accounts of classical statistical design strategies. Sections concerning replication and blocking incorporate discussion of contemporary ideas of pseudoreplication and the use of blocks of natural size.