Sowing date effects on allometric relationships and growth dynamics of quinoa for non-destructive leaf area estimation
Abstract
Understanding the allometric relationships between leaf area and other plant traits is essential for non-destructive growth monitoring and efficient crop management. However, no comprehensive study has yet modeled leaf area in quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) using simple morphological traits across different sowing dates. This study aimed to quantify allometric relationships between leaf area and plant height, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, panicle dry weight, and total dry matter, and to evaluate whether these relationships are modified by sowing date. A two-year field experiment was conducted with 12 sowing dates under a randomized complete block design with three replications. Leaf area index (LAI) dynamics were described using a logistic model, and allometric relationships were fitted using power-law equations. The results showed that LAI followed a logistic trend across all sowing dates, with maximum values ranging from 2.7 to 7.9. Plant height provided the most reliable prediction of leaf area (R ² = 0.83, b = 1.2), followed by leaf dry weight (R ² = 0.72, b = 0.97). The allometric coefficients for stem dry weight (b = 1.54, R ² = 0.74) and panicle dry weight (b = 1.95, R ² = 0.71) showed greater variability. A striking finding was the exceptionally high allometric coefficient (b = 4.95) recorded on May 6 of the second year, indicating a pronounced shift in resource allocation toward leaf area expansion. Total dry matter was a weak predictor (R ² = 0.54), likely due to leaf fall during the growing season. The hypothesis that sowing date modifies allometric relationships was confirmed, as evidenced by considerable variation in allometric coefficients across sowing dates. This study provides, for the first time, a comprehensive set of allometric models for quinoa across multiple sowing dates. Plant height and leaf dry weight are recommended as simple, rapid, and non-destructive indicators for leaf area estimation, facilitating improved crop monitoring and management under diverse environmental conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{taji2026sowing,
title = {{Sowing date effects on allometric relationships and growth dynamics of quinoa for non-destructive leaf area estimation}},
author = {Masoud Taji and Ali Rahemi Karizaki and Abbas Biabani and Benjamin Torabi and Ebrahim Gholamalipour Alamdari},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-73444-4},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73444-4},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Sowing date effects on allometric relationships and growth dynamics of quinoa for non-destructive leaf area estimation
AU - Masoud Taji
AU - Ali Rahemi Karizaki
AU - Abbas Biabani
AU - Benjamin Torabi
AU - Ebrahim Gholamalipour Alamdari
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/04
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-73444-4
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-73444-4
AB - Understanding the allometric relationships between leaf area and other plant traits is essential for non-destructive growth monitoring and efficient crop management. However, no comprehensive study has yet modeled leaf area in quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) using simple morphological traits across different sowing dates. This study aimed to quantify allometric relationships between leaf area and plant height, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, panicle dry weight, and total dry matter, and to evaluate whether these relationships are modified by sowing date. A two-year field experiment was conducted with 12 sowing dates under a randomized complete block design with three replications. Leaf area index (LAI) dynamics were described using a logistic model, and allometric relationships were fitted using power-law equations. The results showed that LAI followed a logistic trend across all sowing dates, with maximum values ranging from 2.7 to 7.9. Plant height provided the most reliable prediction of leaf area (R ² = 0.83, b = 1.2), followed by leaf dry weight (R ² = 0.72, b = 0.97). The allometric coefficients for stem dry weight (b = 1.54, R ² = 0.74) and panicle dry weight (b = 1.95, R ² = 0.71) showed greater variability. A striking finding was the exceptionally high allometric coefficient (b = 4.95) recorded on May 6 of the second year, indicating a pronounced shift in resource allocation toward leaf area expansion. Total dry matter was a weak predictor (R ² = 0.54), likely due to leaf fall during the growing season. The hypothesis that sowing date modifies allometric relationships was confirmed, as evidenced by considerable variation in allometric coefficients across sowing dates. This study provides, for the first time, a comprehensive set of allometric models for quinoa across multiple sowing dates. Plant height and leaf dry weight are recommended as simple, rapid, and non-destructive indicators for leaf area estimation, facilitating improved crop monitoring and management under diverse environmental conditions.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -