Modeling leaf area development in soybean (Glycine max L.) based on the branch growth and leaf elongation

Abstract

Several models have been proposed to simulate the leaf area index (LAI) in soybean (Glycine max L.); however, these models do not directly account for the effect of branch growth. Because the increases in branches and branch node vary with plant density, the evaluation of branch growth is necessary for the application of the LAI model at various plant densities. In this study, we developed an LAI model for soybean, considering the branch growth and leaf elongation at each node. To simplify this model, we estimated the rate of branch and branch node increase based on the rate of main stem node increase. Branch growth was assumed to be restricted when the fraction of canopy radiation interception was increased. Moreover, we calculated the leaf area growth at each node based on leaf elongation at each leaflet. This LAI model was validated using the data of different years and plant densities for model calibration, and it estimated the LAI with a root mean square error of 0.76, which accounted for 92% of the variation in the data. Although further evaluation is needed, the LAI model proposed in this study reveals a high potential for accurate estimation of LAI at various plant densities.