SIMPLIFIED METHODS TO MEASURE LEAF AREA AND GRAIN DIMENSIONS OF SOME CEREALS

Abstract

A simple well-done instrument was found out to measure wheat, barley, rice and oat leaf area smoothly and precisely. The idea depends on knowing the total surface area of geometric cylinder then dividing it to an equal distances each represents (1cm2), the wheat leaf roll up on the cylinder from zero line till the end of the leaf, then knowing the area of the wrapped leaf. Also a simple quick method for measuring seed dimensions (length, width, thickness) had been found depending on fixing the grain samples longitudinally, latitudinal or laterally i.e.(sideward) in modeling clay or any adhesive tape to complete measuring easily. The results illustrated that there was no differences in the area of ten wheat leaves measured by a created method (cylinder method) and the two conventional standard methods i.e.(transcript and computer methods). Also the dimensions of two replicates (ten grains for each) which were measured with a new method (using adhesive tape or modeling clay) are congruent and coincided to a conventional method by using electronic micrometers. In general, accurate results obtained by using the created new methods, beside the easiness of these two methods comparing with the conventional methods.