Nonlinear models for describing lettuce growth in autumn-winter

ABSTRACT: The objectives of this study were to fit the Gompertz and Logistic models for the fresh and dry matter of leaves and the fresh and dry matter of shoots of three lettuce cultivars and indicate the best model to describe their growth in autumn-winter. The lettuce cultivars Gloriosa, Pira Verde, and Stella were evaluated in the autumn-winter of 2016 and 2017, in soilless in a protected environment. After transplantation, the fresh and dry matter of leaves and shoots were weighed every seven days. These dependent variables were fit using the accumulated thermal sum. The parameters of the Gompertz and Logistic models were estimated, the assumptions of the models were verified, the indicators of fit quality and critical points were calculated and the parametric and intrinsic curvature measures quantified. The Logistic and Gompertz models presented a satisfactory adjustment for the fresh and dry matter of leaves and the fresh and dry matter of shoots, for the lettuce cultivars Gloriosa, Pira Verde and Stella, in autumn-winter. The Logistic model best describes the growth of the lettuce cultivars.