DETERMINATION OF LAI AT DIFFERENT GROWTH STAGES OF PEPPER PLANTS GROWN IN FIELD

The leaf area index (LAI) is important for monitoring and assessing crop vigor. It is used in the evaluation of plant condition, as inputs in various models to predict productivity. The main aim of this study was to identify the changes in LAI between major growth stages of pepper. In situ measurements and time series imagery from Copernicus Land Monitoring services were used. In situ data collection was carried out in a production pepper plantation, cv. Slonsko uho is grown under open field conditions in the village ofKatunitsa, Plovdiv region, Bulgaria. Measurements were carried out in different stages of the development ofplants. The destructive determination of LAI was conducted after collection of plant samples. The leaf area was determined using an electronic plotter Image Analysis Systems " WinDias 3". The leaf area index was calculated as the ratio ofplant leaf area covering a unit of land area. The LAI images were downloaded for two years (2022 and 2023), between different stages of the development of pepper. A correlation between satellite data and in situ measurements was established. The dependence of LAI on the time series for the two years was determined.