A MODEL FOR ESTIMATING AREA OF MUSKMELON LEAVES

Eight muskmelon (Cucumis melo reticulatus L.) cultivars were selected to test whether a model could be developed to estimate leaf area across cultivars. Regression analyses of leaf area vs. leaf width and length revealed several models that could be used for estimating the area of individual muskmelon leaves. A linear model using leaf width squared was the best overall, yielding the equation A = 3.3 + 0.63 (W-2), where A is area of an individual leaflamina (square centimeter) and Wis leaf width (centimeter) at the widest point perpendicular to the leaf midrib. Forcing the intercept through the origin did not significantly alter prediction capability and resulted in a simple model of the form A = 0.64 (W-2) that was applicable to all eight cultivars.