The objective of this study was to determine the cardinal temperatures of sweet potato and to compare the simulation of node appearance with the plastochron model (linear) and with Wang and Engel model (nonlinear) and the best way to input air temperature in the models. Model calibration and test were conducted with data of number of nodes on the main stem of sweet potato, cultivar Princesa, collected in experiments carried out in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, at seven planting dates in 2010, 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. Better model predictions were obtained using the cardinal temperatures of 12, 30 and 40 ºC. The plastochron and Wang and Engel models showed similar performance. The version of the models that uses mean temperature as input was superior to the version with the minimum and maximum temperatures as input. Both models can be used to simulate the development of sweet potatoes when it is cultivated in the recommended period. Outside this period it is suggested to use the Wang e Engel model.
Ipomoea batatas; phenology; plastochron; air temperature
