03/10/2026
From Observation to Evidence: Measuring Plant Performance at ACAH
At Australian College Of Agriculture & Horticulture (ACAH), students are learning how technology can turn plant observations into measurable data.
As part of practical horticultural and applied research activities, students are using a SPAD/multi-parameter plant meter to assess key indicators of plant performance, including:
SPAD/Chlorophyll – an indicator of relative leaf chlorophyll status
Nitrogen – supporting assessment of plant nutritional status
Relative Humidity – providing environmental context for plant growth and transpiration
Plant/Leaf Temperature – useful when investigating plant water relations and environmental stress
During this practical session, one measurement recorded:
SPAD: 21.3 | N: 9.4 mg/g | RH: 37.6% | Temperature: 15.5°C
A single reading is only a snapshot. The real value comes from collecting measurements consistently across different plants, treatments and growth stages and then comparing these results with biomass, yield, irrigation, nutrition and other production data.
Students also learn that SPAD readings are not simply laboratory nitrogen results. Crop species, cultivar, leaf age, growth stage and environmental conditions all need to be considered when interpreting the data.
This is where practical training becomes applied research.
Through ACAH’s RAW – Research Applied in the Workplace approach, students develop skills in plant measurement, sampling, data collection, analysis and evidence-based decision-making in real horticultural production environments.
Measure. Analyse. Understand. Improve.
