Articles
Thirty years of fruit tree modeling: what was done and was it worth it?
Article number
1425_36
Pages
281 – 288
Language
English
Abstract
The Department of Plant Sciences of the University of California Davis has devoted nearly 30 years to developing a mechanistic, virtual simulation model of peach tree and fruit growth, structure and physiology.
This effort involved several phases, and those phases involved progressions that increased the complexity of the models and their ability to simulate tree responses to environmental and management factors over periods ranging from hours to multiple years.
The final models simulated dynamic carbon assimilation, transport and distribution throughout the plant to support growth and respiration of all organs, detailed dynamic 3-d architectural tree structure, water uptake and hourly changes in individual organ water potentials in response to soil water availability and seasonal patterns of carbohydrate storage and utilization over multiple years.
Unfortunately, the resulting models were too complex to be directly useful as decision support tools, however the modeling effort was highly valuable in developing an integrated understanding of how fruit trees grow and function over multiple years.
This understanding has been useful for instructing growers about how and why trees respond to management factors such as pruning and fruit thinning and has led to grower recommendations regarding these practices.
The modeling effort also led to increased understanding about how and why trees respond to environmental factors such as water stress and especially warming spring temperatures due to climate change.
This effort involved several phases, and those phases involved progressions that increased the complexity of the models and their ability to simulate tree responses to environmental and management factors over periods ranging from hours to multiple years.
The final models simulated dynamic carbon assimilation, transport and distribution throughout the plant to support growth and respiration of all organs, detailed dynamic 3-d architectural tree structure, water uptake and hourly changes in individual organ water potentials in response to soil water availability and seasonal patterns of carbohydrate storage and utilization over multiple years.
Unfortunately, the resulting models were too complex to be directly useful as decision support tools, however the modeling effort was highly valuable in developing an integrated understanding of how fruit trees grow and function over multiple years.
This understanding has been useful for instructing growers about how and why trees respond to management factors such as pruning and fruit thinning and has led to grower recommendations regarding these practices.
The modeling effort also led to increased understanding about how and why trees respond to environmental factors such as water stress and especially warming spring temperatures due to climate change.
Authors
T.M. DeJong
Keywords
virtual trees, tree modeling, dry matter partitioning, tree growth, source-sink relations, fruit size, fruit yield, L-PEACH, L-ALMOND
Groups involved
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Working Group Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
- Working Group Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control, Greenhouse Environment
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
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