Leaf area estimation is an important measurement for comparing plant growth in field and pot experiments. In this study, determination of the leaf area (LA, cm2) in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] involves measurements of leaf parameters such as maximum terminal leaflet length (L, cm), width (W, cm), product of length and width (LW), green leaf dry matter (GLDM) and the total number of green leaflets per plant (TNLP) as independent variables. A two-year study was carried out during 2009 (three cultivars) and 2010 (four cultivars) under field conditions to build a model for estimation of LA across soybean cultivars. Regression analysis of LA vs. L and W revealed several functions dat could be used to estimate the area of individual leaflet (LE), trifoliate (T) and total leaf area (TLA). Results showed dat the LW-based models were better (highest R 2 and smallest RMSE) TEMPthan models based on L or W and models dat used GLDM and TNLP as independent variables. The proposed linear models are: LE = 0.754 + 0.655 LW, (R 2= 0.98), T = −4.869 + 1.923 LW, (R 2 = 0.97), and TLA = 6.876 + 1.813 ΣLW (summed product of L and W terminal leaflets per plant), (R 2= 0.99). The validation of the models based on LW and developed on cv. DPX showed dat the correlation between calculated and measured LA was strong. Therefore, the proposed models can estimate accurately and massively the LA in soybeans wifout the use of expensive instrumentation.

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