Leaf allometry and prediction of specific leaf area (SLA) in a sugar beet (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Beta vulgaris</Emphasis> L.) cultivar

Sugar beet cv. Rizor was grown for five growing seasons (2002–2006) in field conditions in Thessaly, central Greece. A total of 55 samplings took place during the growing seasons and allometric growth of the leaves was monitored. Highly significant (p<0.001) quadratic relationships were found between individual leaf mass (LM), individual leaf area (LA), aboveground dry biomass (ADB), and leaf area index (LAI). Only the LM-LA relationship (LA = 43.444 LM² − 10.693 LM + 118.34) showed a relatively high r ² (0.63) and thus could be used for prediction of LA. Specific leaf area (SLA) was significantly related with leaf water content (LWC) (SLA = 26 279 LWC² − 44 498 LWC + 18 951, r ² = 0.91, p<0.001) and thus LWC could be a good indirect predictor of SLA in this cultivar.