Leaf area is an important agronomical parameter as it is related to plant growth, photosynthetic capacity and many times it is used to asses the effect of different plant treatments. Leaf Area Meters are scientific instrument that are specially designed to measure the area of leaves. They are also the morphology analyzer, Diseases and insect damage quantifiers. This instrument is based on Photometric Technology.
Leaf area meter provides leaf area measurement through electronic rectangular approximation this instrument can also be used to measure the area of non-transparent flat surface material like cloth/paper/plastic/leather etc. A leaf area meter provides a non-destructive means for environmental scientists and farmers alike to ascertain plant health, quality and local ecological trends as reflected in the leaf’s area, length, average width and maximum width.
In principle the leaf is placed between a light source and a photocell,the reduction in photocell output due to the presence of the leaf then gives a measure of leaf area. The transmission of light through the leaves is a source of error, and an attempt to minimize this is usually made by fitting a magenta filter between the leaf and the photocell to absorb any green light passing through the leaf.
Leaf area measurement of plants are useful for many scientific disciplines. Monitoring the distribution and changes of leaf area is important for assessing growth and vigour of vegetation on the planet. It is fundamentally important as a parameter in land-surface processes and climate models.
This variable represents the amount of leaf material in ecosystems and controls the links between biosphere and atmosphere through various processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration and rain interception. A measurement that is seemingly so simple and fundamental is really the backbone that provides the framework for further research in areas like ecology, agronomy, entomology, carbon cycle research and plant pathology. These and many other disciplines rely on the measurement of leaf area in much of their work.
