Simulation models are tools used in the Agrometeorology to quantify the development of agricultural and forest crops. The aim of this work was to evaluate and compare the Phyllochron (linear) and the Wang and Engel (non-linear) models for estimating the leaf development, by leaf appearance, in two olive cultivars during the seedling phase. A field experiment was carried out in the Agricultural Company of Minas Gerais (EPAMIG), Maria da Fé (MG). The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial arrangement, with two cultivars, nine planting dates and 15 repetitions in each treatment. The three first planting dates were used to estimate the models coefficients and other planting dates were used as independent data to evaluate the models. The response was different for the two cultivars. The Wang and Engel model estimations performed better for 'Arbequina', with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 3.41 leaves while the Phyllochron model better estimated for 'MGS ASC315'with RMSE of 2.98 leaves, below the one obtained for the 'Arbequina' cultivar with a RMSE of 7.49 leaves.
Olea europaea L.; leaf appearance; plant development; Phyllochron; Wang and Engel
