Modeling the Growth of Sudangrass Cultivars at Sowing Times

Abstract

This study aimed to fit the Gompertz and Logistic growth models to evaluate the description of fresh and dry masses of shoot as a function of accumulated thermal sum and accumulated solar radiation, to compare the fittings, and to indicate which one best describes the growth of two sudangrass cultivars at four sowing times. Eight uniformity trials were conducted with the sudangrass crop. Five plants were collected from each trial for weighing of fresh and dry shoot masses. These evaluations were carried out three times a week starting from 15 days after plant emergence. The Gompertz and Logistic models were fitted to the masses as a function of accumulated thermal sum and accumulated solar radiation. The parameters and their confidence intervals were estimated. The points of maximum acceleration, inflection, maximum deceleration and asymptotic deceleration, and fit quality indicators were calculated. The intrinsic nonlinearity and the parameter-effects nonlinearity were quantified. The independent variables accumulated thermal sum and accumulated solar radiation can be used to fit the models. Both models satisfactorily describe the growth of fresh and dry shoot masses of cultivars BRS Estribo and CG Farrapo. The Logistic model is more accurate.