Abstract

MORA-DELGADO, Jairo  and  HOLGUIN, Vilma A.. APPLICATION OF NON-LINEAR MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR THE ESTIMATION OF FORAGE BIOMASS OF Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray. rev.udcaactual.divulg.cient. [online]. 2018, vol.21, n.1, pp.43-50. ISSN 0123-4226.  https://doi.org/10.31910/rudca.v21.n1.2018.661.

Determination of the forage biomass of the bushes is usually done with destructive methods, therefore the prediction of biomass with non-destructive methods represents a tool for farmers and agricultural researchers, which justifies this study, given the saving of time and resources in the planning processes of forage resources. The construction of allometrics equations is a methodology for estimating the biomass of woody species; these procedures are useful for researchers of agroforestry resources. The objective of this study was to generate an equation to estimate the biomass of a shrub, Tithonia diversifolia, using linear measurements; which were statistically analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficients, through which the variables most correlated with the biomass were selected. The work field was conducted from November to December 2013 at the Experimental Center of the National University of Colombia - CEUNP, Palmira, in an experimental area of 880 m, with row design every 2 m and distance between plants of 1 m, for a total of 440 plants. The canopy volume was estimated by measuring the height and two diameters to be included in a modified formula of the basic volume of an ellipsoid. A Mitcherlich equation had the best fit, under the model Ӯ = 15,06 (1-1,06) -0,12X. This equation was the best predictor of biomass for this species.

Keywords : Fodder bank; prediction; shrubs; mathematical models..

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