Evaluation of the potato plant leaf area, cultivar Atlantic, using linear measures

Abstract

The objective of this research was to establish the appropriated mathematical model to estimate leaf area of potato cultivar Atlantic using the linear dimensions of the leaf: the length (C) and width (L). The evaluation was performed in 270 leaves, which were randomly collected from a field of Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 21 and 50 days after the plant emergence (DAE). In laboratory, the length, width and area of each leaf were measured by a leaf area meter (model LI 3100). The data were submitted to a regression analysis with the AF value as a dependent variable and the leaf length, width, the product of both (CL), and the square product (CL)² values as independent variables. Potato plant LA was more precisely estimated using measures of length and width: AF = 0,369335**CL + 10,6923 (R² = 0,92) to 21 DAE and AF = 0,470971**CL – 16,3432 (R² = 0,86) to 50 DAE. With the obtained model, AF of potato cultivar Atlantic can be estimated by measures obtained straight from the field, with no the need to damage the leaf or the plant.