Fractional factorial design of screening experiments on cryopreservation of fish sperm

Milt of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella (Val.) and goldfish Carassius auratus auratus (L.) was cryopreserved in experiments following &Hf;1 2 and &Hf;1 4 fractional factorial designs. The efficiency of a graphical method and manova was tested, as well as the informative strength of both designs. Fractional factorial design was very suitable for screening experiments, and it allowed separation of important and unimportant effects. A graphical method showed the same efficiency and reliability as manova . The &Hf;1 4 fractional factorial design was less informative than the &Hf;1 2 fractional factorial design, because it did not allow an estimation of the interactions. The application of fractional factorial designs for multifactorial screening experiments on cryopreservation of fish sperm has been implemented in this study.