However, maximising the fi through optimising crop management offers the greatest
scope for increasing biomass production, radiation use efficiency (RUE) and yield of a crop (De Costa 2000)The value of fi is determined by canopy size (leaf area index—LAI) and its architecture (orientation of leaves within the canopy). Leaf orientation is a genetically-determined character which shows genotypic variations. The development the sugarcane canopy is dependent on the rates
of tillering, leaf appearance, leaf extension and the size of each leaf