Re-constructing data of leaf area increment in the greenhouse pot chrysanthemum cultivar 'Lompoc'

A dynamic model was developed for re-constructing data of shoot leaf area increment in pot chrysanthemum. From specified final areas of individual leaves and time of anthesis of the terminal flower, the model can re-construct dynamic growth of each leaf on side shoots using a modified Richards function. In the model, leaf growth is related to a relative time index ranging from zero to unity, where zero is the start of short day treatment and unity corresponds to anthesis of the terminal flower. Experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions to collect data for parameter estimation, model verification and model validation. An allometric relationship between leaf length and leaf area was used to estimate leaf area non-destructively from leaf length recordings. When compared with the data used for parameter estimation, the model simulations fitted the data with R2 values ranging from 0.979 to 0.998. In the validation trial the model showed a tendency of over estimation early leaf growth but could explain variations in the data with R2 values ranging from 0.899 to 0.993.