1- Department of Horticultural Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Islamic Republic Iran.
Abstract: (8275 Views)
Accurate and nondestructive methods to determine individual leaf areas of plants are
useful tools in physiological and agronomic research. A determination of the individual
leaf area (LA) of such species in Brassicaceae family as red cabbage (Brassica oleracea
var. cappitata L. f. Rabra), cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. cappitata L. F. Alba) and
broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica L.) involves measurements of leaf parameters
including leaf length (L) and width (W), or some combination of these parameters. This
research was carried out during 2008 (on eight cabbage, six broccoli, and three red
cabbage genotypes) under open field conditions, to see whether an equation could be
developed to estimate leaf area of cabbage and broccoli across their genotypes. Regression
analysis of LA vs. L and W revealed several equations that could be used for estimating
the area of individual cabbage and broccoli leaves. A linear equation having W as the
independent variable provided the most accurate estimate of red cabbage as well as
ordinary cabbage LA. The linear equation (LA= a+b W2) exhibited a high accuracy and
precision in estimating red cabbage and non-red cabbage LA. For broccoli a linear
equation having LW as the independent variable provided the most accurate estimate of
LA, but required twice the time needed for leaf area measurement.
Received: 2010/08/14 | Accepted: 2010/08/14 | Published: 2010/08/14