ABSTRACT
Correction factors to measure leaf area based on lenght and width of lamina in four forage legumes

Ignacio Ruiz N.1
 

Using as a reference an electronic planimeter, the correction factors were calculate to measure the surface of lamina (S) in terms of its lenght (L) and maximum width (W) of 4 forage legumes used in Chile. The values found were the following:
Red clover : S = 0,764 (L x W)
Lucerne : S = 0,778 (L x W)
White clover : S = 0,780 (L x W)
Berseem clover : S = 0,797 (L x W)
No significant difference was found among the last three coefficients; then it could be used only one general index, average of those (0.785).
Even when the method L x W was slower than the electronic, it is an easy and very unexpensive method. Under many circumstances the speed of measurement is satisfactory if the work is based in samples instead of large amounts of leaves.

Keywords: forage legumes, leaf area, leaf, methods, measurement, electronic planimeter.
1 Centro Regional de Investigación La Platina (INIA), Casilla 439. Correo 3, Santiago, Chile.