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Abstract
The aim of this study was to present a gravimetric method for the estimation of leaf area index (LAI) and foliage area index (FAI) of rice. The method estimates indirectly the LAI-FAI variation during the growing season using simple measurements during harvest, based on a module of predetermined relations among agronomic parameters. The method confronts the limitations of other methods under specific conditions, such as (a) high plant densities and high LAI-FAI values, where indirect optical methods are restricted and (b) experiments related to crop modeling applications where direct destructive methods are not allowed because they alter the initial design of the experimental setup. The method was applied for the high-yield cultivar (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica, cv. Thaibonnet) during 2-year evapotranspiration experiments in lysimeters. The method identified the differences between the replicate lysimeters, and LAI-FAI estimations were significantly correlated with the final grain yields and the crop factors obtained from evapotranspiration measurements.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank V. Z. Antonopoulos for his scientific contribution by setting the initial base for the research on rice, D. Papakosta and G. Castaldelli for knowledge about rice anatomy and behavior of wetland species, D. Kalampidis for his technical assistance, the colleagues E. Lekakis, S. Kotsopoulos, T. Margaritidis, S. Giousepas and E. Ninou for their assistance during the experimental measurements, and the Department of Hydraulics, Soil Science, and Agricultural Engineering, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki for the supply of scientific instrumentation and software.