Abstract In agricultural experiments, measuring all plants that constitute an experimental unit is the most appropriate method for estimating averages. This study analyzed sample sizes (number of plants) for estimating averages of agronomic traits in cassava. The experiment for seedling production was conducted on four sowing dates: September 22, October 7, October 19, and November 25, 2017. The evaluated characters were plant height at planting, number of leaves at planting, number of leaves at 7 days after planting, number of leaves at transplanting, and plant height at transplanting. The seedlings were transplanted to the field on November 9, November 24, December 3, and December 26. Root characteristics and root yield were measured at harvest. The following statistics were measured: minimum, maximum, range, mean, median, variance, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation. The sample size was determined by resampling with replacement when the range of the 95% confidence interval (CI) was 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the average estimate. Larger sample sizes were needed to estimate trait averages with a 95% CI range of 10% of the average estimate, i.e., when estimation accuracy was higher. In contrast, lower sample sizes were required to estimate averages of all characters in all planting times with a 95% CI range of 40%. For measuring seedling production and stem and root yield, 63 and 153 plants are sufficient to estimate averages when the range of the 95% confidence interval was 20%.

Resumen En experimentos agrícolas, medir todas las plantas que constituyen una unidad experimental es el método más apropiado para estimar promedios. Este estudio analizó tamaños de muestra (número de plantas) para estimar promedios de caracteres agronómicos en yuca. El experimento para la producción de plántulas se realizó en cuatro fechas de siembra: 22 de septiembre, 7 de octubre, 19 de octubre y 25 de noviembre de 2017. Los caracteres evaluados fueron la altura de la planta en la siembra, el número de hojas en la siembra, el número de hojas a los 7 días después de la siembra, el número de hojas en el trasplante y la altura de la planta en el trasplante. Las plántulas se trasplantaron al campo el 9 de noviembre, 24 de noviembre, 3 de diciembre y 26 de diciembre. Las características de la raíz y el rendimiento de la raíz se midieron en la cosecha. Se midieron las siguientes estadísticas: mínimo, máximo, rango, media, mediana, varianza, desviación estándar y coeficiente de variación. El tamaño de la muestra se determinó mediante remuestreo con reemplazo cuando el rango del intervalo de confianza (IC) de 95% fue de 10%, 20%, 30% y 40% de la estimación promedio. Se necesitaron tamaños de muestra más grandes para estimar los promedios de rasgos con un rango de IC de 95% de 10% de la estimación promedio; es decir, cuando la precisión de la estimación fue mayor. En contraste, se requirieron tamaños de muestra bajos para estimar promedios de los caracteres en los tiempos de siembra con un rango de IC de 95% de 40%. Para medir la producción de plántulas y rendimiento de tallos y raíces, 63 y 153 plantas son suficientes para estimar promedios cuando el rango del intervalo de confianza de 95% fue de 20%.

As estufas plásticas são consideradas como um ambiente homogêneo. No entanto, essa afirmativa não é comprovada, pois existem variações de produção entre plantas, causada por diversos fatores externos. São escassas as informações relacionadas a técnicas experimentais de planejamento de experimento nestes ambientes. Dessa forma, foram instalados experimentos no Departamento de Fitotecnia/UFSM com a cultura do pimentão em estufa plástica nas estações sazonais de cultivo verão/outono e inverno/primavera com o objetivo de determinar a variabilidade da produção, em torno da média, para cada colheita e no total produzido, em diferentes tamanhos de parcela dispostos no sentido da linha. Pelo teste de homogeneidade de variâncias, em cada colheita e para produção total e através da dispersão da produção média, verificou-se que existe alta heterogeneidade na distribuição da produção entre as parcelas experimentais de pimentão em estufa plástica e que parcelas de 14 plantas na linha de cultivo amenizaram as variações de solo existentes. O delineamento de blocos ao acaso no sentido das linhas se mostrou adequado para estes ambientes.

The plastic greenhouses are considered an homogeneous environment, however, that affirmative is not tested, because production variations exist among plants, influenced by several external factors. There is a lack of information related to techniques of experimental designing in these environments. Experiments were installed in the Crop Science Department/UFSM with the culture of chili in plastic greenhouse in two seasonal seasons, in order to study the variability of the production around the average, for each harvest and in the total yield, in different plot size. With the variances homogeneity test, for each harvest and total yield, the dispersion on the production around the average, it was verified that there is a high heterogeneity in the distribution of the production among the experimental plots in protected chili culture, and that plots of 14 plants in the line had reduced the variations of soil. The randomized blocks design in the line is adequate for these environments.

O trabalho teve como objetivo estimar o tamanho de amostra em cada colheita, para experimentos realizados em estufa plástica com a cultura do pepineiro do tipo conserva, cultivar Mandarina, na qual se avaliou a da massa da matéria fresca total dos frutos. O cultivo foi realizado na área do Departamento de Fitotecnia - UFSM e se constituiu de seis linhas com doze parcelas de cinco plantas em cada linha. Aplicou-se o teste de Bartlett para verificar a homogeneidade das variâncias entre as colheitas e entre as linhas dentro de cada colheita. Verificou-se que, em 7 das 13 colheitas, as variâncias entre as linhas se apresentaram homogêneas. Os tamanhos de amostras encontrados entre todas as parcelas foram 44 e 22 parcelas e 10 e 11 parcelas por linha para as semi-amplitudes da média de 10 e 20%, respectivamente, a 5% de probabilidade de erro.

The present work had as objective to estimate the sample size in each crop, for experiments accomplished in plastic greenhouse with the culture of the cucumber of the type conserves, cultivate Mandarina, in which the weight of the total fresh mass of the fruits was evaluated. The cultivation was accomplished in the area of the Department of Fitotecnia - UFSM and it was constituted of six lines with twelve portions of five plants in each line. The test of Bartlett was applied to verify the homogeneity of the variances among the crops and among the lines inside of each crop. It was verified that in 7 of the 13 crops, the variances among the lines came homogeneous. The sizes of samples found among all the portions were 44 and 22 portions and 10 and 11 portions for line for the semi-widths of the average of 10 and 20%, respectively, to 5% of error probability.