Estimating leaf area of pearl millet from linear measurements

Plant leaf area is a useful observation in physiological and agronomic research. Statistical regression and correlation models have been used to estimate leaf blade area from leaf blade dimensions such as length and width. The objective of this study was to determine if consistent relationships exist among leaf area (A), length (l), and maximum width (m) of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] leaves from different plant positions and different stages of maturity. Measurements of length, width, and area were made on leaf blades sampled from different positions on pearl millet plants at the 7- and 10-leaf growth stages. Relationships for the model A = klm were derived by least squares regression for these leaves of each position on the plants (where k is an empirical constant) []