ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to create a single mathematical equation able to estimate the leaf area of different cassava cultivars from one lineal dimension without destroying any plant tissue. Two hundred leaves per cultivar from ten cultivars were used to calibrate the model and more than one hundred leaves per cultivar were used to test its predictive capacity as independent data. All equations were the result of the nonlinear correlation between the leaf area and the length of its central lobe. To validate it as a “general” equation, another set of five cultivars were used. A “specific” equation for each cultivar was also calibrated to compare with the “general” equation’s performance. Cultivar Vassourinha has remarkably different leaf morphology from the other nine cultivars, making the “general” equation’s tendency line deviate and lowering its coefficient of determination. Therefore, one more equation was generated excluding that cultivar and, as a result, it was not possible to estimate the leaf area from all the cultivars using only the “general” equation. The “general without Vassourinha” equation has a high accuracy level when estimating leaf area of the other nine cultivars, plus the extra five cultivars that were included to validate the general equation; all of them present similar leaf morphology. Due to its importance, Vassourinha cultivar’s “specific” equation should be used when estimating leaf area for this cultivar or other cultivars with similar leaf morphology.

RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi simular a produtividade de duas cultivares de mandioca em dois cenários climáticos futuros do IPCC, o SRES-A1B (Cmip3) e o RCP4.5 (Cmip5), para o Rio Grande do Sul. Foi utilizado o modelo Simanihot, com o submodelo de balanço hídrico do solo diário sequencial de Thornthwaite e Mather, e os cenários SRES- A1B (Cmip3 - 3o Projeto de Intercomparação de modelos globais) e o RCP4.5 (Cmip5 - 5o Projeto de Intercomparação de modelos globais) do 4o e 5o relatório do IPCC, respectivamente, regionalizados por downscaling dinâmico com modelo RegCM3 e RegCM4 (Modelo Climático Regional), respectivamente. As cultivares utilizadas no estudo foram a 'Fepagro - RS13' (uso forrageira) e 'Estrangeira' (uso para mesa). Em ambas há aumento na produtividade de raízes em cenários climáticos futuros. A cultivar de mesa se beneficia mais na produtividade de raízes no cenário com maior concentração de CO2 (cenário Cmip3), enquanto a cultivar forrageira, se beneficia mais no cenário Cmip5. Nos três períodos futuros (2010-2039, 2040-2069 e 2070-2099), as mudanças na produtividade são sempre mais expressivas no último período (2070-2099) e nas primeiras datas de plantio (01/09 e 01/10). A região do Rio Grande do Sul com maiores mudanças na produtividade é a nordeste, a qual, no clima atual é a mais fria do Estado, com temperatura mínima do ar no inverno entre 6 e 8°C.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to simulate the yield of two cassava cultivars in two IPCC future climate scenarios, the SRES-A1B (Cmip3) and the RCP4.5 (Cmip5), for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The Simanihot model, with the Thornthwaite and Mather water balance sub-model, and the SRES-A1B (Cmip3 - Third Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) and RCP4.5 (Cmip5 - Fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) scenarios of the Fourth and Fifth IPCC Assessment Report, respectively, was used. Cassava cultivars used in this study were 'Fepagro - RS13' (forrage) and 'Estrangeira' (human consumption). In both cultivars, there was an increase in tuberous roots yield in future climate scenarios. The cultivar for human consumption benefits more roots yield in the scenario with higher CO2 (Cmip3 scenario); whereas, the forage cultivar benefits more the Cmip5 scenario. Among the three future periods (2010-2039, 2040-2069 e 2070-2099), changes in tuberous roots yield are more evident in the end of the century period (2070-2099) and for early planting dates (01 September and 01 October). The northeastern region of the state has the greatest changes in tuberous roots yield in future climates, because this is the coldest region, with winter minimum temperature during between 6 and 8oC.