DYNAMO-A: A generic simulation model coupling crop growth and disease epidemic.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Pathology
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Dynamic simulation models rarely integrate epidemiological and agrophysiological processes.
• Existing models like RICEPEST and WHEATPEST focus on specific crops and lack two-way coupling.
• There is a need for a generic, transparent, and simple coupled disease-crop model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop DYNAMO-A, a generic, transparent, and simple coupled disease-crop model.
• To simulate polycyclic epidemics within annual crop canopies with explicit two-way coupling.
• To analyze the impact of pathogen lifestyle and production situations on crop yield losses.

Main Methods:

• Developed DYNAMO-A, integrating an agrophysiological component (crop growth) and an epidemiological component (epidemic simulation).
• Simulated scenarios with biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens under favorable and less favorable production situations.
• Quantified yield losses based on pathogen-crop interactions and environmental contexts.

Main Results:

• Biotrophic pathogens reduced green leaf area and diverted assimilates, causing significant yield loss, especially in favorable conditions.
• Necrotrophic pathogens reduced both diseased and green leaf areas due to senescence, with losses less dependent on production situations.
• Absolute yield losses were higher for biotrophic pathogens in favorable production settings.

Conclusions:

• DYNAMO-A provides a valuable tool for understanding complex plant disease dynamics.
• The model's findings align with previous experimental and modeling studies.
• Future applications of DYNAMO-A can support interdisciplinary research on agricultural production impacts.