title: Quantification of the effects of architectural traits on dry mass production and light interception of tomato canopy under different temperature regimes using a dynamic functional-structural plant model.
abstract: There is increasing interest in evaluating the environmental effects on crop architectural traits and yield improvement. However, crop models describing the dynamic changes in canopy structure with environmental conditions and the complex interactions between canopy structure, light interception, and dry mass production are only gradually emerging. Using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) as a model crop, a dynamic functional-structural plant model (FSPM) was constructed, parameterized, and evaluated to analyse the effects of temperature on architectural traits, which strongly influence canopy light interception and shoot dry mass. The FSPM predicted the organ growth, organ size, and shoot dry mass over time with high accuracy (>85%). Analyses of this FSPM showed that, in comparison with the reference canopy, shoot dry mass may be affected by leaf angle by as much as 20%, leaf curvature by up to 7%, the leaf length:width ratio by up to 5%, internode length by up to 9%, and curvature ratios and leaf arrangement by up to 6%. Tomato canopies at low temperature had higher canopy density and were more clumped due to higher leaf area and shorter internodes. Interestingly, dry mass production and light interception of the clumped canopy were more sensitive to changes in architectural traits. The complex interactions between architectural traits, canopy light interception, dry mass production, and environmental conditions can be studied by the dynamic FSPM, which may serve as a tool for designing a canopy structure which is 'ideal' in a given environment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Horticultural Production Systems, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Strałe 2, D-30419 Hannover, Germany chen@gem.uni-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Tsu-Wei
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Horticultural Production Systems, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Strałe 2, D-30419 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Thi My Nguyet
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetable Crops, Geisenheim University, Von-Lade-Straße 1, D-65366 Geisenheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kahlen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Horticultural Production Systems, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Strałe 2, D-30419 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stützel
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008027:Light; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008954:Models, Biological; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Canopy photosynthesis; dynamic model; functional–structural plant model; light interception; plant architecture; temperature; tomato.