Plot size and shape for Sesame experiments

Abstract

In agricultural experimentation, the use of adequate plot size and shape is an important experimental technique to increase the precision of the experiment. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the appropriate size and shape of the plot for field experimentation with sesame. For this, the experiment was conducted in randomized complete blocks with 14 sesame cultivars in four replicates. The plots were composed of four 0.8-meter-long rows, at spacing of 0.6 m between rows and 0.1 m between plants. The plot area (0.72 m2), composed of the two central rows, was divided into 12 basic units, each constituted by one plant in the row (0.06 m2), to obtain the seed yield of sesame. The convenient size of the experimental plot was estimated by the Hatheway’s method and its adequate shape was determined by the relative information method. The Hatheway’s method allowed the estimation of several convenient plot sizes, many of sizes applicable for sesame cultivar evaluation experiments. A rectangular 1 x 6 plot (row with six plants and 0.36 m2 of floor area) was considered the adequate shape to evaluate seed yield of sesame cultivars and was also smaller than the size generally indicated in surveys with the sesame crop.