5. GROWTH STIMULATING MODELS AS A TOOL FOR PLAT GROWTH ANALYSIS AND CONTROL – SIMULATION OF CROP YIELD PROCESSES BY MATHEMATICAL MODELS

Computer simulation of crop yield processes was introduced by Brouwer and De Wit.
By this simulation method the growth process is divided in different subsystems, for example, subsystems for root growth, stem growth and leaf growth.
For each of these subsystems a mathematical model is formulated, for example, an exponential growth model.
All these subsystems are integrated by the simulation procedure, using computer programs as Elcros.

It was shown, that this simulation model can be considered as an extension of the mathematical model of Mitscherlich, who formulated a functional model based on a differential equation for the whole crop yield process.
In the simulation model such functional models are formulated for every subsystem and integrated by the whole model.
Therefore, the simulation model may describe the crop yield process more sophisticated than the global functional model by Mitscherlich.
On the other hand our knowledge at present is to scarce to formulate good models for the subsystems.
By this fact, the applicability of the simulation model is very severely restricted.

Symposium on Basic Problems of Protected Vegetable Production

B. Schneider

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1974.39.26