Abstract

The main result obtained, it bases on the determination of a leaf coefficient for each one of two plant species of interest for the research, vanilla (Vanilla sp.) and Chinese potato [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott]. The procedure followed consists of considering an adequate number of nodes, taking the measurements in a rectangular coordinate system, it located the sheets in a convenient way, from which it is built using a modification of the second-order segmented interpolation, which is considered the condition on the second derivative, instead of the first, to model the edge of the leaf while preserving the intensity with which it curves, identified with the concavity. Once the edge of the leaf is constructed, the area it contains is compared and it is compared with that of a rectangle contains it in an inscribed way, to determine the leaf coefficient that can be used in studies on photosynthesis processes in the plant. Two types of leaves are used for this purpose, the leaves measured experimentally and another set of leaves, generated artificially and proportionally, from the smallest to the largest. The calculations are carried out with formulated programs through Matlab Mathematical Assistant.