Estimation of Air Temperature Using Climate Factors in Brazilian Sugarcane Regions

Estimativa da Temperatura do Ar Utilizando Fatores Climáticos nas Regiões Canavieiras Brasileiras

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the minimum and maximum monthly air temperatures in the sugarcane regions of Brazil. A 30-year historical series (1988-2018) of maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) air temperatures from the NASA/POWER platform was used for 62 locations that produce sugarcane in Brazil. Multiple linear regression was used for data modeling, in which the dependent variables were Tmin and Tmax and the independent variables were latitude, longitude, and altitude. The comparison between estimation models and the real data was performed using the statistical indices MAPE (accuracy) and adjusted coefficient of determination (R2adj) (precision). The lowest MAPE values of the models for estimating the minimum air temperature occurred mainly in the North during February, March, and January. Also, the most accurate models for estimating the maximum air temperature occurred in the Southeast region during January, February, and March. The MAPE and R2adj values showed accuracy and precision in the models for estimating both the maximum and minimum temperatures, indicating that the equations can be used to estimate temperatures in sugarcane areas. The Tmin estimation model for the Southeast region in July shows the best performance, with a MAPE value of 1.28 and an R2adj of 0.94. The Tmax model of the North region for September presents higher precision and accuracy, with values of 1.28 and 0.96, respectively.

Keywords
modelling climate; multiple linear regression; sugarcane; latitude; longitude; air temperature