DEVELOPMENT OF A METHODOLOGY FOR ESTIMATION OF LEAF AREA USING THE BETA MASS ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT OF THE LEAF

ABSTRACT

Leaf area measurement can be a time consuming process and may require sophisticated electronic instruments. The objective of this research was to develop a simple, and less time consuming method for leaf area (LA) estimation of some leaves of cassava varieties. A method based on the beta mass absorption coefficient of the leaf has been developed and used for the estimation of leaf area of three varieties of cassava and the accuracy and precision of this method has been compared with that of a standard leaf area disk method. Leaf area estimates from both methods were highly correlated. In both methods, leaf area increased with stage of growth of the cassava plants. Comparisons of leaf area disk results for Bankye botan variety, Cape vars bankye and Adehye bankye varieties, showed that leaf area for these varieties could be measured with the same accuracy using the beta mass absorption coefficient method. This relatively simple method of estimating leaf area has advantages in certain experimental situations where many samples could be measured at the same time. The work permits the conclusion that using beta mass absorption coefficient of a leaf and the mass of the leaf estimation of the leaf area could be made fairly accurately thus allowing for example the estimation of yield of the cassava plantation.