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AmapSim: a structural whole-plant simulator based on botanical knowledge and designed to host external functional
Jean-François Barczi1, Hervé Rey, Yves Caraglio
1CIRAD, Cirad-Cnrs-Inra-Ird-Université Montpellier, France. barczi@cirad.fr
Annals of Botany
|September 4, 2007
Summary
AmapSim is a plant growth simulator that models morphogenesis for detailed plant architectures. Its new plug-in functions allow integration with external processes, enabling feedback between plant growth and the environment.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Computational modeling
- Botanical theory
Background:
- AmapSim is a sophisticated tool developed over a decade for simulating plant morphogenesis.
- It generates accurate, complex, and detailed plant architectures based on botanical principles.
- Recent advancements include plug-in external functions for integrating functional processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce AmapSim, a plant growth simulator.
- To highlight its capabilities in simulating plant morphogenesis and architecture.
- To demonstrate its extensibility through external function integration.
Main Methods:
- Plant topology simulation uses virtual buds with stochastic activity.
- Bud growth is controlled by a 'physiological age' parameter.
- Morphological changes are managed by a semi-Markovian function governing bud activity along a reference axis.
Main Results:
- Simulations on tomato plants showcased AmapSim's ability to interface with external modules like GREENLAB and radiosity models.
- Demonstrated the integration of a botanical growth model with a physical environment model.
Conclusions:
- AmapSim's 'reference axis' provides unified control over plant development parameters.
- The simulator's open architecture facilitates integration with external functions and environmental feedback.
- This enhances its applicability for studying plant growth in various contexts.
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