Development of the Nondestructive Leaf Area Estimation Model for Valeriana (Valeriana jatamansi Jones)

ABSTRACT

Leaf area (LA) is an important parameter related to plant growth and physiology. An allometric model was developed to estimate the LA of endangered medicinal plant Valeriana jatamansi using linear measurements such as leaf length (L) and width (W). LA and other leaf dimensions were measured using a laser leaf area meter. Leaves from seven accessions of valeriana were collected from the experimental site during 2015. Different regression models were developed between LA and other leaf components, viz. L, W, etc. The linear model having LW as an independent variable (y = 0.487 + 0.644 LW) provided the best estimation [coefficients of determination (R²) = 0.974, root mean square error (RMSE) = 2.222, coefficient of variation (CV) = 4.529]. Validation of the selected model showed a higher correlation between the actual leaf area (ALA) and the predicted leaf area (PLA) [R² = 0.956, RMSE = 2.310, CV = 5.319, predicted residual error sum of squares (PRESS) = 1067.352].

KEYWORDS:

• Accessions; leaf area
• regression model
• Valeriana jatamansi; validation

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Director, CSIR–IHBT, Palampur, for providing the necessary facility during the course of the study.

Funding

The authors are also grateful to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India, for financial assistance under the CSIR network project BSC0209. This is CSIR-IHBT communication no. 3896.