Abstract

COGLIATTI, D.H.; CATALDI, M.F.  and  IGLESIAS, F.. Leaf area estimation in wheat plants suffering several kinds of abiotic stress. Agriscientia [online]. 2010, vol.27, n.1, pp.43-53. ISSN 1668-298X.

In wheat, leaf area (LA) can be estimated as the product between length, maximum blade width (LxW) and a proportionality coefficient b_m. However, it is unknown whether this coefficient is the same in stressed and non stressed plants. In order to study this, two experiments in which drought, shading and N and P deficiencies were applied to wheat plants were performed. The b_m coefficient was calculated by linear regression between LA and LxW. The coefficient was similar in control plants as compared to those suffering wilting or N or P-deficiency, but different in shaded plants. The greater b_m in shaded plants was due to an increased proportion of the central section of the blade, defined by its rectangular form. Validation of the possibility of using b_m of the control to estimate LA in stressed plants was performed by linear regression between measured and calculated LA. It is concluded that the same b_m coefficient can be safely used to calculate LA from LxW in non-stressed plants and in those suffering drought or N or P-deficiency. The use of the same coefficient value in shaded plants produced an underestimation of LA, which was more pronounced as shading increases.

Keywords : Wheat; Estimated leaf area; Calculation coefficient; Blade length and width; Abiotic stress.

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