What was the purpose of the research?

The initial background of the research is based on the significance of plant physiological functions, specifically leaf area. This characteristics helps in determining the environmental standards a plant must cope with and it supports understanding of its impact on other plant traits. Finally, it is crucially important to consider leaf area as one of the ways for predicting the need for irrigation.

The focus of the research is on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L cv.), which is the most widely utilized forage legume and a crucial source of roughage.

The difficulty in measuring leaf area of alfalfa or any other crops in the field using traditional techniques is not a new topic. Hence, there was a need to assess the potential for smartphones with their various precise instruments, such as digital leaf area meters, to be a useful tool for fieldwork in ecology and evolution.

All works during this experiment were linked to effective leaf area measurement method between traditional and mobile application methods for alfalfa crops.

What were the methods and tools in this experiment?

In this experiment, 20 random leaf samples were taken from each of three alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants. The experiment took place at Niğde Omer Halisdemir University in Turkey.

Equipment for leaf area measurement in this research

• Leaf area was measured using both a mobile application (PETIOLE) and an automatic leaf area meter (LICOR LI-3100C) with two techniques: individual measurement (LICOR-I) and all leaves measured at once (LICOR-II).

• The PETIOLE app operates on a smartphone with an Android system and uses digital image processing to measure leaf area.

• The LICOR LI-3100C measures leaf area through photography with ImageJ.

• The data was evaluated and presented as means ± standard error.

What are the results of measuring alfalfa with Petiole and Licor?

Results showed that the mean total leaf area measurement was 61.65 cm2 with the automatic meter and 61.56 cm2 with the Petiole app, with no significant difference (P=0.106).

When three different techniques were used, the LICOR-II method showed the least leaf area measurement, while the LICOR-I method exhibited the maximum values in replications 1 and 2, and the Petiole app was found with the maximum in replication 3.

The results showed no significant difference between the leaf area measurement using both devices as indicated by the P values.

What is the discovery of this leaf area research?

The results of this study showed no significant difference between the measurements from the three sources.

However, there have been studies that suggest alternative ways to measure leaf area, such as using a microcomputer-based system (Clarke and McCaig, 1985) or high-resolution imaging (Ramirez and Zullo Jr. 2010).

The results of mentioned studies are mixed and present both support and contrast to the findings of this study.

At the same time, the results show that the Petiole app measures leaf area faster and more efficiently than LICOR, LI-3100C. The use of a mobile application in the field eliminates the need to carry plants to the lab, making it faster and more practical for field use.

Credentials of the research

Kizildeniz T. (2023) COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TOOLS AND METHODS IN THE MEASUREMENT OF LEAF AREA IN ALFALFA. Black Sea Journal of Engineering and Science: https://doi.org/10.34248/bsengineering.1179597

Abstract of the research

Leaf area measurements in the field are very difficult to determine the yield. Use of the mobile application has come to the fore due to its practical use and ease of transportation.

Therefore, in this study, the ease of use and accuracy were tested by determining area of leaf with an automatic leaf area meter and a mobile application called ‘PETIOLE’. The leaf area of alfalfa plants (Medicago sativa L. cv Nimet) grown in the field, and measured in the field with the ‘PETIOLE’ mobile application and in laboratory conditions with automatically leaf area measurement device was measured.

The automated leaf area meter mean for total leaf area was 61.65 ± 3.50; meanwhile the mean for the PETIOLE App assessment was 61.56 ± 3.15. As a result, the PETIOLE app measures the area of each leaf separately, more quickly and efficiently than before, particularly in the field.