Estimating potato leaf area index for specific cultivars

The growth and duration of crop leaf area determines the amount of solar radiation intercepted by the canopy and therefore influences the extent of photosynthesis, evaporation, transpiration and final dry matter yield. The objective of this study was to develop cultivar specific relationships to estimate the daily leaf area index (LAI) for the potato crop (Solanum tuberosum L.) that included the effects of available soil water. The model is divided into three LAI growth stages, the durations of which are partially related to potato heat units (PHU). The LAI in the first stage is estimated from a cultivar specific leaf area-based radiation use efficiency index with a soil water reduction factor. The second stage involves the maintenance of a constant LAI with the duration related to both PHU and a soil water index that can accelerate senescence. The final stage includes a decrease in the LAI from a maximum to zero in response to a cultivar specific PHU accumulation. Model simulations compared favourably with independent LAI measurements obtained with a LI-COR plant canopy analyzer over two seasons.