Image analysis of the leaf vascular network: physiological considerations

The study of leaf vascular systems is important in order to understand the fluid dynamics of water movement in leaves. Recent studies have shown how these systems can be involved in the performance of photosynthesis, which is linked to the density of the vascular network per unit of leaf area. The aim of the present study was to highlight the correlation between a leaf vein density (V-D) and net photosynthetic rate (P (N)), which was undertaken using a digital camera, a stereoscopic microscope, and a light source. The proposed hypothesis was tested, for the first time, on the leaves of two cultivars of Vitis vinifera (L.). A significant difference was found between the V-D of mature leaves of the two cultivars. V-D was also significantly correlated with the maximum leaf P (N). These findings support the hypothesis that the vascular system of grape leaves can be correlated with leaf photosynthesis performance.