The aim of this research was to determine the sample size to estimate the average of the morphological and productive traits of crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst) and assess the relationships among these traits. An experiment was conducted in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil (latitude 29°42'S, longitude 53°49'W and 95m altitude) in the year 2008. At harvest, 75 plants were randomly selected and measured for morphological traits (plant height, number of racemes per plant and length average of racemes per plant) and productivity (number of fruits per plant, number of fruits per raceme and grain yield). It was calculated the sample size of each trait and studied the relationship among the traits by scatter plots, correlation, path analysis and regression. In the culture of crambe, the sample size (number of plants) of productive traits is greater than morphology to estimate average and it has the same precision. The number of fruits per plant has a positive linear relationship with grain yield and can be used for indirect selection.
Crambe abyssinica Hochst; experimental planning; sample dimensioning; modeling; indirect selection
