The objective of this work was to elaborate and test models to estimate the irrigated rice yield, in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The study was carried out using meteorological data of minimum air temperature, global solar radiation and data of agricultural statistics about the irrigated rice yield, involving six rice production regions of Rio Grande do Sul, relative to crop years from 1982/1983 to 2005/2006. Analyses of yield technological tendencies were performed, and agrometeorological indicators for model adjustments of irrigated rice yields were established. There is a technological tendency of increasing the irrigated rice yield in the State. The analyzed meteorological variables - global solar radiation and days with minimum air temperature below or equal to 15°C - can be used as indicators of the irrigated rice yield. The adjusted agrometeorological models, elaborated for the six rice production regions and for the Rio Grande do Sul State, show characteristics of accuracy, easy implementation and low cost, which make them able to be introduced in the national program of crop forecast.
Oryza sativa; crop forecast; solar radiation; minimum temperature
