Publication Details
An instructional guide for leaf color analysis using digital imaging software
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Year Published
2005
Publication
Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-327. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 33 p.
Abstract
Digital color analysis has become an increasingly popular and cost-effective method utilized by resource managers and scientists for evaluating foliar nutrition and health in response to environmental stresses. We developed and tested a new method of digital image analysis that uses Scion Image or NIH image public domain software to quantify leaf color. This publication provides instructions for using this software to measure the percentage green and red in leaves, colors of particular importance for the assessment of plant health. Comparisons of results from digital analyses of 326 scanned images of leaves and concurrent spectrophotometric measures of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and anthocyanins verify that image analysis provides a reliable quantitative measure of leaf color and the relative concentrations of underlying plant pigments.
Keywords
chlorophyll, anthocyanin, leaf color, digital image, image analysis, Scion Image software, NIH Image softwareCitation
Murakami, Paula F.; Turner, Michelle R.; van den Berg, Abby K.; Schaberg, Paul G. 2005. An instructional guide for leaf color analysis using digital imaging software. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-327. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 33 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NE-GTR-327.