Yield estimation of biomass and fiber of Agave lechuguilla Torr. at north of Zacatecas

Abstract

A biomass and fiber yield tables were obtained from the bud of Agave lechuguilla Torr., at north of Zacatecas, regression models were estimated with data on the green weight (gw, gr) of the bud and dry weight (dw, gr), respectively. The method of quadrants centered on a point was used as sampling to obtain information at n = 74 sites randomly located. In each plant was evaluated, the smallest diameter (smd, cm), the largest aerial diameter (lad, cm), the bud height (h, cm), gw (gr) and dw (gr). They were collected in field r = 296 buds, them was manually carved to obtain the fiber, dried in the sun for 3 - 5 hr (dw, gr). The average gw was 287.19 gr bud^-1 with a yield of 40.945 kg ha^-1, the average density was 2,149 ± 126 usable plants ha^-1. The correlation showed high statistical significance (P < 0.01) for gw with respect to lad (R = 0.968) and dw with smd (R = 0.945). The model gw = 21.920(1.054)^h was selected to estimate the biomass performance table for presenting better statistical estimators, R²_aj.= 0.960, CME = 0.009, CV = 1.688 %, Cp = 2.002, │PRESS│ = 0.012 y PRESS = 0.0001. For the fiber, dw = 0.0003(h)^2.812, R²_aj.= 0.921, CME = 0.027, CV = 5.708 %, Cp = 2.004, │PRESS│ = 0.123 y PRESS = 0.015.