Abstract
Non-destructive, accurate, user-friendly and low-cost approaches to determining crop leaf area (LA) are a key tool in many agronomic and physiological studies, as well as in current agricultural management. Although there are models that estimate cut rose LA in the literature, they are generally designed for a specific stage of the crop cycle, usually harvest. This study aimed to estimate the LA of cut “Red Naomi” rose stems in several phenological phases using morphological descriptors and allometric measurements derived from image processing. A statistical model was developed based on the “multiple stepwise regression” technique and considered the stem height, the number of stem leaves, and the stage of the flower bud. The model, based on 26 stems (232 leaves) collected at different developmental stages, explained 95% of the LA variance (R2 = 0.95, n = 26, p < 0.0001). The mean relative difference between the observed and the estimated LA was 8.2%. The methodology had a high accuracy and precision in the estimation of LA during crop development. It can save time, effort, and resources in determining cut rose stem LA, enhancing its application in research and production contexts.
Highlights
Productivity and crop growth are directly related to leaf area (LA)
For the data set of 36 leaves, the descriptive statistics showed that 53% of cases of LA estimates had between‐methods differences below 5%, with an showed that 53% of cases of LA estimates had between-methods differences below 5%, with an average average deviation of 5.7%
The image processing method used in the present study revealed an accuracy and precision that permits estimating a cut rose crop LA without the need to damage or replace the plants, when compared to the reference method using a portable area meter, it was more time-consuming
Summary
Productivity and crop growth are directly related to leaf area (LA). Accurate and prompt determination of this parameter is of great importance. The implementation of tools for measuring and estimating crop LA has long been a concern for researchers. There are currently several approaches for LA determination, which include direct and indirect methods. Direct methods include planimetric or gravimetric analyses of leaves, harvested directly or indirectly [3,4]. Portable scanning planimeters (e.g., LI-3000, Licor, NE, USA) are often used as a reference method for obtaining the LA. Direct methods are more accurate but have the disadvantages of being very time-consuming, not user-friendly, and having constraints regarding equipment acquisition, price, and operation [4]. Direct methods can be destructive, not allowing successive measurements of LA [5]
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