Estimating the leaf area of plant species entails many benefits, such as prediction of the productive potential and the achievement of optimal management practices in irrigation, fertilization and soil use. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of four methods that are commonly employed to estimate leaf area in forage species. Three of these methods are categorized as destructive and include the estimation of the leaf area using a fixed device in the laboratory (Delta-meter) and

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... two scan software packages (Laforem and Image Tool). Leaves are scanned and data were introduced into computer for surface analysis. The fourth method is a non-destructive one, which means that leaves were not harvested and the leaf area was estimated using a portable device (Li-3100) in the field. The results indicate that Li-3100 is very accurate for species with larger leaves, while destructive methods are necessary for species with smaller leaf area (<10cm 2 ).