The method used to determine the leaf area of sweet cherry trees

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the leaf area of sweet cherry varieties using various calculation methods. The investigations were carried out in the central area of the Republic of Moldova. The Ferrovia, Kordia, Regina, Skeena and Stella sweet cherry varieties, grafted on the MaxMa 14 rootstock, were studied. The trees were planted in 2011 at a distance of 5 x 3 m. The trees had naturally improved reduced volume crowns. The leaf area was determined separately on shoots and rosettes. The gravimetric method was used to determine the leaf area using a sample of 100 leaves. With the help of the tubular drill with a diameter of 0.8-1.2 cm, a sample of 100 circles was taken from the leaf blades, which were then weighed. The leaf and circle weight is used to determine the leaf area. In autumn, after trees shed their leaves, the fruit branches were counted, all the annual branches longer than 4-5 c were measured, then the growth was calculated. The nodes on the annual branches were counted and their density was determined. The number of leaf rosettes on trees was determined by counting all fruit branches. Using the biometric data, the leaf area per tree and per surface unit were calculated.