Sample size matters: optimizing fruit sampling for reliable quality assessment in sweet orange varieties

Caldas, Maiara Janine Machado; Sasaki, Fabiana Fumi Cerqueira; Rodrigues, Valter da Silva; Santana, Lizziane Gomes Leal; Ledo, Carlos Alberto da Silva; Gesteira, Abelmon da Silva; Passos, Orlando Sampaio; Soares Filho, Walter dos Santos

doi:10.1590/1678-992X-2024-0121

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Note • Sci. agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.) 83 • 2026 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-992X-2024-0121 linkcopy

Sample size matters: optimizing fruit sampling for reliable quality assessment in sweet orange varieties

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

This study aimed to determine the optimal sample size of fruits from sweet orange varieties for the evaluation of their physical and chemical quality attributes. Twenty ripe fruits from the following varieties, namely, Diva, Hamlin CNPMF-020, Pera CNPMF-D6, Uruburetama Blood, and Valência Tuxpan CNPMF were used. The variables assessed included fruit mass, longitudinal and transverse diameters, juice mass and yield, peel color and thickness, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, the soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio (SS/TA), and a technological index. The experimental design was completely randomized, with individual analysis of each fruit. Data were analyzed using the Modified Maximum Curvature Method with the aid of the R statistical software. The optimal minimum number of fruits varied according to variety and variable. The smallest required sample sizes were four fruits for Pera CNPMF-D6, six fruits for Diva and Uruburetama Blood, and seven fruits for Valência Tuxpan CNPMF and Hamlin CNPMF-020. Therefore, a standardized sample size of seven fruits is recommended for studies based on the physicochemical quality of sweet orange varieties, to ensure sufficient precision and statistical reliability under the conditions of this study.

Keywords:
modified maximum curvature method; titratable acidity; soluble solids

Varieties	Fruit mass			Diameter
	Fruit mass			Transversal			Longitudinal
	a	b	X₀	a	b	X₀	a	b	X₀
Diva	26.25	0.49	5.1	8.67	0.49	2.4	9.94	0.50	2.7
Hamlin CNPMF-020	28.92	0.47	5.4	24.90	0.51	5.0	21.66	0.45	4.4
Pera CNPMF-D6	12.78	0.52	3.2	5.00	0.52	1.7	4.40	0.52	1.6
Uruburetama blood	27.27	0.48	5.3	10.02	0.50	2.7	10.21	0.49	2.7
Valência Tuxpan CNPMF	27.55	0.49	5.3	7.48	0.01	2.2	8.90	0.47	2.4

Varieties	Fruit peel color			Fruit peel thickness			Juice mass
Varieties	a	b	X₀	a	b	X₀	a	b	X₀
Diva	9.77	0.50	2.7	13.62	0.50	3.3	28.43	0.50	5.5
Hamlin CNPMF-020	25.99	0.54	5.2	28.92	0.52	5.5	33.67	0.53	6.1
Pera CNPMF-D6	12.25	0.49	3.1	16.21	0.52	3.8	10.19	0.48	2.7
Uruburetama blood	13.82	0.51	3.4	16.76	0.53	3.9	16.76	0.53	3.9
Valência Tuxpan CNPMF	12.47	0.50	3.1	26.31	0.50	5.2	26.90	0.51	5.3

Varieties	Juice yield			Technological index
Varieties	a	b	X₀	a	b	X₀
Diva	4.45	0.50	1.6	7.81	0.49	2.3
Hamlin CNPMF-020	26.21	0.54	5.2	24.17	0.50	4.9
Pera CNPMF-D6	17.63	0.52	4.0	14.99	0.52	3.6
Uruburetama blood	54.02	0.51	1.8	11.64	0.51	3.0
Valência Tuxpan CNPMF	6.76	0.50	2.1	11.56	0.52	3.0

Varieties	TA			SS			SS/TA Ratio
Varieties	a	b	X₀	a	b	X₀	a	b	X₀
Diva	28.60	0.48	5.4	7.93	0.51	2.3	24.67	0.50	5.0
Hamlin CNPMF-020	26.52	0.54	5.3	24.07	0.50	4.9	22.42	0.47	4.6
Pera CNPMF-D6	18.27	0.53	4.1	7.79	0.51	2.3	13.99	0.49	3.4
Uruburetama blood	12.52	0.50	3.2	8.63	0.50	2.5	11.91	0.50	3.1
Valência Tuxpan CNPMF	37.60	0.52	6.6	8.02	0.50	2.4	41.19	0.50	7.0

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[TFN1] ^*
Estimates of equation parameters of Smith (1938) by fitting the general equation CV (x) = a/X_b.