Estimativa de área do cladódio da palma forrageira orelha de elefante mexicana (Opuntia stricta Haw) por meio de fatores de correção e equações de regressão

Abstract

Statistical evaluations to obtain productivity in forage palm fields have become increasingly necessary in understanding the production and development of total green mass. This study aims to obtain the cladode area and correction factor between 0.93 and 0.98 in the Mexican elephant ear forage palm variety. The experiment was conducted in the field under rainfed conditions in the municipality of Campina Grande, Paraíba. The experiment was implemented during 2022. It was conducted in an area of 0.6 hectares. The spacing was 1.7 m between rows, 0.30 m between double rows, and 0.10 m between plants in the rows. The experimental design was randomized blocks in subdivided plots, with 13 treatments and four replicates. During the 12-month period between planting and harvesting, fertilization and cultural practices followed the technical guidelines of the project, under rainfed conditions. Two direct methods (Planimetric – APL and Paper Weight – APP) and one indirect method (Biometric Measurements – AMB) were used to determine the cladode area (AC). It was observed that the statistical circle model (R2 = 0.9673) and the ellipse method (R2 = 0.9359) indicate even greater accuracy (R2 close to 1) than the other methods.