Size of uniformity trials for estimating the optimum plot size for vegetables

Abstract

The aim of this work was to determine the uniformity trial size for estimating the optimum plot size in order to evaluate the fruit mass of tomato, snap-beans and zucchini. The mass of fruits was evaluated in uniformity trials with tomato grown in plastic tunnel in spring-summer and autumn-winter seasons, with snap-beans in plastic greenhouse in autumn-winter season and, with zucchini in plastic greenhouse in summer-autumn and winter-spring seasons. These data were used for planning different sizes of uniformity trials and resampling with replacement was used to estimate the optimum plot size by the method of maximum curvature of the coefficient of variation model. The size of uniformity trials influences the estimation of the optimum plot size for evaluating the mass of fruits of tomato, snap-beans and zucchini. Uniformity trials with tomato with 12 basic experimental units (12 plants) and with snap-beans with 21 basic experimental units (42 plants) are enough for estimating the optimum plot size for evaluating the mass of fruits in plastic tunnel with a confidence interval of 95% minor or equal to two basic experimental units. Uniformity trials with snap-beans with 18 basic experimental units (36 plants) and with zucchini with ten basic experimental units (ten plants) in plastic greenhouse are enough for estimating the optimum plot size for evaluating the mass of fruits with a confidence interval of 95% minor or equal to three basic experimental units.