Evaluation and reparametrization of mathematical models for prediction of the leaf area of Megathyrsus maximus cv. BRS Zuri

The aim of this study was to verify the precision and accuracy of 5 models for leaf area prediction using length and width of leaf blades of Megathyrsus maximus cv. BRS Zuri and to reparametrize models. Data for the predictor variables, length (L) and width (W) of leaf blades of BRS Zuri grass tillers, were collected in May 2018 in the experimental area of Embrapa Gado de Corte, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The predictor variables had high correlation values (P<0.001). In the analysis of adequacy of the models, the first-degree models that use leaf blade length (Model A), leaf width × leaf length (Model B) and linear multiple regression (Model C) promoted estimated values similar to the leaf area values observed (P>0.05), with high values for determination coefficient (>80%) and correlation concordance coefficient (>90%). Among the 5 models evaluated, the linear multiple regression (Model C: β0 = -5.97, β1 = 0.489, β2 = 1.11 and β3 = 0.351; R2 = 89.64; P<0.001) and as predictor variables, width, length and length × width of the leaf blade, are the most adequate to generate precise and exact estimates of the leaf area of BRS Zuri grass.