Leaf Area Partitioning as an Important Factor in Growth
Open Access
- 1 January 1977
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Plant Physiology
- Vol. 59 (1) , 10-14
- https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.59.1.10
Abstract
Despite continuing efforts to correlate unit area rates of photosynthesis of crop varieties with growth rates, there has been little or no success. It is reasonable to assume that partitioning of photosynthate into new leaf area is an important component of growth. Accordingly, an expression was developed to measure leaf area partitioning. Using growth analysis techniques, relative growth rates were compared to net assimilation rates, partitioning of daily weight gain into new leaf area, and partitioning of daily weight gain into new leaf weight of nine species grown in growth chambers under three temperature regimes. Day/night temperatures of 21/10, 32/21, and 38/27 C caused large differences in relative growth rates. Relative growth rates were closely correlated with leaf area partitioning in seven of the nine species, but were inversely correlated with leaf weight partitioning for six of the nine species. Relative growth rates were poorly correlated with net assimilation rates for five of the nine species. The product of net assimilation rate times leaf area partitioning is shown to be equal to the relative leaf area expansion rate.This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- METHODS AND SIGNIFICANT RELATIONS IN THE QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PLANT GROWTH.New Phytologist, 1920