Estimation of leaf area in different cultivars of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

摘要

Leaf area is a parameter commonly used in studies of crop production. Different methods (destructive, non destructive and indirect) are used for its determination. The aim of this work was to obtain an allometric equation between the linear and surface dimensions of the leaf that gives a quick estimate of the area. To reach this objetive different sized leaves in plants of old and modern tomato cultivars were randomly selected. The old cultivares, Platense, Marmande, 7718 and Carmelo, were cultivated outdoors during spring-summer with a density of 23,400 pl ha~(-1). The modem cultivars, Splendid, Salvador, Bonanza, FA 144, Agroflora N. deg 4, BHN 9086 and BHN Co l28 were grown under greenhouse conditions with a density of 25,000 pl ha~(-1). Allometric relationships were established between the length and maximum width of the leaf and the individual leaf area. The equations that better estimate the leaf area of a tomato crop are those that consider cultivars and leaf size. Moreover a general equation is proposed for all the studied cultivars and the accuracy of its predictions is established by comparison with the measured area.