A farmer wants to test the affects of a pesticide on his peach crop yield, so he sprays an orchard with the pesticide treatment. A second orchard does not receive the pesticide. In the fall, the number of peaches harvested from each orchard is counted. Which of the following is the independent (manipulated) variable in the experiment?

Responses
• the second orchard
• the first orchard
• the number of peaches
• the pesticide

the pesticide

The independent (manipulated) variable in the experiment is the pesticide.