Relationship between chlorophyll meter readings and nitrogen in poinsettia leaves

ABSTRACT

Chlorophyll meters are used for non-destructive estimation of leaf nitrogen (N). The objective of this study was to evaluate the readings with several chlorophyll meters (SPAD-502, atLEAF, and CCM-300), different sampling sites on leaves, number of leaves used for sampling, and different types of leaf N sampling on estimation of N in leaves of potted poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) “Prestige Red.” Results showed that all meters gave readings that were correlated for N determination and also were correlated with each other. SPAD and atLEAF showed interaction between different N treatments and different sampling sites on the leaves, while CCM readings were affected by different sampling sites on the leaf. atLEAF readings showed interaction between number of leaves sampled and different N treatments. Thus, during sensor-based leaf N estimation, sampling site on leaf, number of leaves sampled, and stage of plant development should be considered to minimize error.

KEYWORDS:

• greenhouse
• nutrient status
• sensor

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project and the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University.