The base temperature (Tb) is an input variable widely used in models of agricultural and forest crops development. The aim of this study was to estimate the Tb for vegetative development, represented by seedling phase in two olive cultivars under field conditions. The experiment was carried out in the experimental area of the Agricultural Research Corporation of Minas Gerais, in Maria da Fé, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized with two olive cultivars, three transplanting dates and fifteen repetitions. The Tb was estimated by six methods described in literature, whose values varied depending on each method of calculation. The estimated Tb was 9.6 ºC for Grappolo and 6.9 ºC to Maria da Fé, respectively.
Development; Air temperature; Phenology; Olea Europaea L
