Chi-Square Test and its Interpretation:

In genetic experiments, certain numerical values are expected based on segregation

ratios involved. However, in actual field experiments exact values may not be
obtained due to in-viability of certain pollen grains, zygotes, no germination of
some seeds, or even death of few plants after germination.

This leads to some deviation between the actual results and the expected ones
under a given hypothesis. The chi-square (X2) test is a statistical test to determine
whether the deviation is within the limits of experimental error or large enough to
reject the hypothesis involved.
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The formula of chi-square is symbolized as follows:

Where

O = the observed number;

E = expected number

Σ = Sigma, the summation sign

The value is calculated for the degrees of freedom n-1 where n is the number of
classes.

Limitations of X2-Test:
(i) It is used only on the numerical data, not on the percentages or ratios.
(ii) It cannot properly be used when expected frequency within any phenotypic
class is less than 5.

Interpretation of X2:
After determination of X2 and degrees of freedom, a table (Table 5.3) is consulted
to find out the probability of occurrence of chance deviations (between observed
and expected values) as large as or larger than those observed. Greater the
probability, lesser is the risk in accepting the hypothesis. A hypothesis is never
proved or disproved by a probability (P) value.
The 5% point (P = 0.05) is usually chosen as an arbitrary standard to determine the
significance or goodness of fit. P = 0.05 means that the deviations as large as
observed or larger than observed shall occur only 5 times out of 100 cases on
account of chance factor.

Under this kind of situation the hypothesis is rejected. This probability value also
means that a true hypothesis will be rejected once in 20 cases. Sometimes P
equaling 0.01 is used as level of significance indicating that the probability of
rejecting a true hypothesis is still smaller i.e., 1/100 only.

Here also the hypothesis is rejected. For accepting the hypothesis P must be more
than 0.05. Another approach to arrive on same conclusions is to compare the
calculated value of X2 with the table value at P = 0.05 for a given degree of
freedom. If the calculated value is less than the table value, the goodness of fit of
the given ratios is accepted otherwise rejected.