Modellering ruimtelijke lichtverdeling in gewassen: Opbouw en toepassing van een 3D model voor kas en gewas

Een 3D model voor lichtverdeling in kasgewassen is ontwikkeld om de meest efficiënte plaatsing van lampen (SONT, LED) te berekenen om hiermee op groeilicht en energie te kunnen besparen. Het onderzoek, in het kader van het programma Kas als Energiebron en gefinancierd door Productschap Tuinbouw en Ministerie van ELI, behelsde de bouw en test van het model, dat rekening houdt met lampposities en -eigenschappen, bladstanden en rijstructuur. De lichtabsorptie en gewasfotosynthese voor een ingevoerd lichtplan wordt gesimuleerd. In het rapport zijn een reeks kansrijke belichtingsscenario’s doorgerekend voor een representatieve gewasstructuur voor tomaat en roos. Het resultaat bleek sterk afhankelijk van padbreedte en aantal bladeren, maar minder van bladvorm en bladhoek. De belichting wordt efficiënter bij gerichtere plantbelichting door aanpassing van de lampreflector, gebruik van tussenbelichting en schermreflectie. Het lichtverlies naar vloer en kasdek worden hiermee gereduceerd. Voor vragen uit de sector is het 3D model nu op verzoek inzetbaar

A rule-based functional-structural model of rice considering source and sink functions

As a first step towards a generic genotype-phenotype model of rice, we present here a model of the growth and morphology of rice in combination with ecophysiological processes using the technique of functional-structural plant modelling (FSPM) and the interactive modelling platform GroIMP along with the graph-based Relational Growth Grammar formalism. The model constitutes a simple yet functionally coherent phenotype model of rice, consisting of a set of morphogenetic RGG rules describing an “average” developmental course and final morphology, partially linking yield traits to processes (tiller and grain number, stem length, grain filling rate, grain weight)

Cut-rose production in response to planting density in two contrasting cultivars

Growing in lower planting density, rose plants produce more assimilates, which can be used to produce more and/or heavier flowering shoots. The effect of planting density was investigated during a period including the first five flowering flushes of a young crop. In a heated greenhouse two cut-rose cultivars were grown under bent canopy management. ‘Akito’ on own-roots and ‘Ilios’ on ‘Natal Briar’ rootstock were planted with densities of 8 and 4 plants per m2. Starting at the end of June 2007, flowering shoots were harvested over a time span of eight months. Based on ‘flowering flushes’, times of high harvest rate, the harvesting time span could be divided into five consecutive periods, each including one flush. The cultivars showed contrasting responses to planting density. In the first three periods the response in ‘Ilios’ was extraordinary, because at low density plants did not produce more flowering shoots, as would be expected. However, the response in shoot fresh weight was larger for ‘Ilios’ than for ‘Akito’, 35% compared to 21% over the entire study period. The results imply that there was a genetic difference in the effect of assimilate availability and/or local light environment. During the first three periods, these factors can not have influenced shoot number in ‘Ilios’, while they did in ‘Akito’. It is suggested that decreases of assimilate availability in winter caused the shoot number response to emerge for ‘Ilios’ later on

Seed conservation in ex situ genebanks - genetic studies on longevity in barley

Recognizing the danger due to a permanent risk of loss of the genetic variability of cultivated plants and their wild relatives in response to changing environmental conditions and cultural practices, plant ex situ genebank collections were created since the beginning of the last century. World-wide more than 6 million accessions have been accumulated of which more than 90% are stored as seeds. Research on seed longevity was performed in barley maintained for up to 34 years in the seed store of the German ex situ genebank of the Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research in Gatersleben. A high intraspecific variation was detected in those natural aged accessions. In addition three doubled haploid barley mapping populations being artificial aged were investigated to study the inheritance of seed longevity. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was based on a transcript map. Major QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2H, 5H (two) and 7H explaining a phenotypic variation of up to 54%. A sequence homology search was performed to derive the putative function of the genes linked to the QTLs

Optimizing illumination in the greenhouse using a 3D model of tomato and a ray tracer

Reduction of energy use for assimilation lighting is one of the most urgent goals of current greenhouse horticulture in the Netherlands. In recent years numerous lighting systems have been tested in greenhouses, yet their efficiency has been very difficult to measure in practice. This simulation study evaluated a number of lighting strategies using a 3D light model for natural and artificial light in combination with a 3D model of tomato. The modeling platform GroIMP was used for the simulation study. The crop was represented by 3D virtual plants of tomato with fixed architecture. Detailed data on greenhouse architecture and lamp emission patterns of different light sources were incorporated in the model. A number of illumination strategies were modeled with the calibrated model. Results were compared to the standard configuration. Moreover, adaptation of leaf angles was incorporated for testing their effect on light use efficiency (LUE). A Farquhar photosynthesis model was used to translate the absorbed light for each leaf into a produced amount of carbohydrates. The carbohydrates produced by the crop per unit emitted light from sun or high pressure sodium lamps was the highest for horizontal leaf angles or slightly downward pointing leaves, and was less for more upward leaf orientations. The simulated leaf angles did not affect light absorption from inter-lighting LED modules, but the scenario with LEDs shining slightly upward (20°) increased light absorption and LUE relative to default horizontal beaming LEDs. Furthermore, the model showed that leaf orientation more perpendicular to the string of LEDs increased LED light interception. The combination of a ray tracer and a 3D crop model could compute optimal lighting of leaves by quantification of light fluxes and illustration by rendered lighting patterns. Results indicate that illumination efficiency increases when the lamp light is directed at most to leaves that have a high photosynthetic potential. - See more at: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2014.00048/abstract#sthash.oZ0vUtYM.dpu

A 3D model of illumination, light distribution and crop photosynthesis to simulate lighting strategies in greenhouses

A functional-structural model for a tomato crop, situated in a greenhouse, was developed to calculate the most efficient lamp (HPS, LED) positions and crop structure, with the objective to reduce energy consumption and improve light use efficiency. The model was built within the GroIMP platform and written using the dedicated modelling language XL. The entire production system is described as a 3D scene including a virtual greenhouse with the crop and light sources (natural light and lamps). The pathways of individual light rays were modelled multi-spectrally with an inversed path tracer. Plant organs (leaves, internodes, flowers, fruits) are the basic units of the multi-scaled, fully object-oriented model. Surface textures and colours were included for all 3D objects. For the current objective a static 3D mock-up of an existing crop was used. Measured 3D distribution pattern and spectrum of light emitted by the lamps were fed into the model. The modelled horizontal light distribution agreed well with measurements. Effects of different positions, reflector types, and spectra of lamps, and plant architectural and optical properties on light distribution and photosynthesis were evaluated. In total 10 illumination scenarios were simulated to quantify crop absorption and loss of light. In summary, a more efficient illumination strategy was predicted when the light was more focused on the crop by lamp reflectors, at inter-lighting (LEDs), and with a reflecting screen above the lamps. The inter-lighting strategy also resulted in a relative increase of light intercepted by fruit and stems relative to lighting from the top of the crop

Virtuele roos: experimenteel en modelmatig onderzoek naar gewasopbouw roos

De gewasopbouw of gewasstructuur is een belangrijke bepalende factor voor productie en kwaliteit bij roos. Met name het uitlopen van een okselknop en en de daarop volgende uitgroei tot bloemscheut hangen nauw samen met de gewasstructuur. De ideale gewasopbouw is niet gelijk voor alle rassen, terwijl nieuwe rassen elkaar in snel tempo opvolgen. Ook de ontwikkelingen op het gebied van robotisering en mobiele teeltsystemen gaan nieuwe eisen stellen aan de gewasopbouw. De gewasopbouw zal zodanig moeten zijn dat het enerzijds voldoet aan de eisen van de techniek en dat anderzijds een optimale productie en kwaliteit geleverd worden. Dit vraagt om keuzen te maken in teeltstrategieën. Gewasopbouw is een complex proces dat niet los gezien kan worden van plantverband, raseigenschappen, snoeistrategie en klimaat. Om hier meer grip op te kunnen krijgen is een aantal proeven uitgevoerd naar verschillen in plantopbouw. Tevens is een gewasgroeimodel ontwikkeld dat de gewasontwikkeling en gewasopbouw (in 3 dimensies) kan berekenen