TITLE:
Evaluation of a Metabolic Cotton Seedling Emergence Model
AUTHORS:
Dennis C. Gitz III, Jeffrey T. Baker, James R. Mahan
KEYWORDS:
Cotton, Seed, Emergence, Degree Day, Crop Model
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.6 No.11,
July
16,
2015
ABSTRACT: A model for cotton seedling emergence (MaGi) based on malate synthase kinetics was evaluated. Cotton seeds were planted through the early spring and into typical planting times for the areas. Soil temperatures at seed depth were used as inputs into MaGi and a commonly used seedling emergence model based on heat unit accumulation (DD60). Time to 50% emergence was calculated and compared with predicted emergence using MaGi and DD60. MaGi yielded predictive capability without the need to resort to lengthy experimentation required by traditional methods. The results suggest that a physiological or semi-empirical approach incorporating both enzyme kinetics and whole plant temperature responses would be useful for rapidly constructing seedling emergence models.