ABSTRACT
The impetus for the development of binomial sampling programs for agricultural systems has arisen from the need to quickly estimate or classify an arthropod’s population density. To meet this need, binomial sampling plans can be easily developed for sequential estimation of a proportion or for sequential decision making using a critical proportion infested. Sequential estimation occurs when the number of samples required to estimate the proportion is not fixed in advance and the decision as to whether sampling should continue or not is made after each sampling unit is inspected. Classification procedures are aimed at determining if the proportion of sampling units is either above or below a critical proportion by a predetermined amount. The chief advantage of classification methods is that they minimize sample sizes required to reach the decision compared with estimation procedures and they are easy to explain and implement in the field.
