Tag: plant biology

A Simple, Inexpensive, and Portable Image-Based Technique for Nondestructive Leaf Area Measurements

Cropped photo of a leaf in the ImageJ program prior to processing.

This new 6-page article, part of a series introducing various image-based measurements for horticultural research, introduces a simple, inexpensive, and portable image-based technique for nondestructive leaf area measurements. It uses an imaging apparatus made with ordinary office supplies to obtain leaf images in greenhouse or field environments. Leaf images are then processed and analyzed to measure leaf area using ImageJ, an open-source image processing program. Because both image capture and analysis are performed nondestructively, leaf area can be measured on the same leaf repeatedly, enabling the monitoring of leaf growth over time, as well as photosynthesis and transpiration. This technique is particularly useful to researchers and students studying leaf growth and physiology in greenhouse or field environments. Written by Shinsuke Agehara, Lillian Pride, Mariel Gallardo, and Jose Hernandez-Monterroza, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1395

Movement of Plant Nutrients

During the water uptake by the plant, the dissolved mineral nutrients get taken up by the plant and distributed throughout the canopy.Credit: Tonya R. Weeks, UF/IFAS CREC

This new two-page document discusses soil-applied and foliar fertilization for citrus trees as well as mobile and immobile nutrients and how they affect the choice of fertilization. Written by Tripti Vashisth and Chris Oswalt, and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1373

Orchid Pollination Biology

Flower of Drakaea livida, an orchid visually resembling a wasp in flight.

Orchids and their pollinators have developed fascinating co-adaptations that promote orchid pollination. This 6-page fact sheet details the various and often strange ways that orchids attract pollinators. The kinds of insects and animals that pollinate orchids and orchids’ reproductive anatomies and processes are also covered. Written by Haleigh Ray and Wagner Vendrame, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, June 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep521

Palm Morphology and Anatomy

Figure 1. Generalized palm morphology.Palms differ greatly from broadleaf (dicot) and coniferous (Gymnosperm) trees in their overall form and external structure (morphology) and in their internal structure (anatomy). Morphology and anatomy determine how palms grow, function, and respond to external and internal stress factors. This publication provides a basic understanding of how palms are constructed. This 4-page fact sheet was written by T. K. Broschat, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, May2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep473

ENH1086/EP351 Mycorrhizae: Implications for Environmental Remediation and Resource Conservation

ENH-1068, a 5-page fact sheet by J. Sharma, A.V. Ogram, and A. Al-Agely, describes the symbiotic relationships between plant roots and fungi and how the resulting rhizosphere activity can lead to transformation and removal of polluting compounds from the soil, reduce the need for fertilizer in commercial nurseries, and improve soil structure and health. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, November 2007.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP351