Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

A Telemetric, Gravimetric Platform for Real-Time Physiological Phenotyping of Plant–Environment Interactions
Published on: August 5, 2020
Digital twins for plant and crop improvement
Duke Pauli1, Brennan Huppenthal2, Diane Wang3
1School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Center for Agroecosystem Research in the Desert (ARID), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Plant digital twins (DTs) are virtual models simulating plant life. They integrate data to bridge the genotype-to-phenotype gap, aiding crop improvement, but face challenges in development and accessibility.
Area of Science:
- Plant science
- Computational biology
- Agricultural technology
Background:
- Plant digital twins (DTs) are dynamic, data-aware virtual representations.
- They integrate plant structure, physiology, and environmental inputs to simulate plant function, growth, and performance.
- DTs offer a novel approach for investigating complex biological systems by linking physical and virtual plants in a feedback loop.
Purpose of the Study:
- Outline the conceptual foundations of plant digital twins (DTs).
- Explore how DTs can bridge the genotype-to-phenotype gap.
- Highlight DTs' potential to aid in crop improvement.
Main Methods:
- Combining process-based models.
- Integrating phenomics data.
- Incorporating environmental states.
Main Results:
- DTs offer new opportunities for plant science research.
- DTs can accelerate crop improvement strategies.
- Challenges in DT development, scalability, and accessibility were identified.
Conclusions:
- Addressing challenges is critical for broad adoption of DTs.
- DTs are transformative tools for plant science.
- DTs can significantly advance crop improvement efforts.
Related Concept Videos
Plant Tissue Culture
Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
Transgenic Plants
The first-ever transgenic plant was a tobacco plant developed in 1983 that showed resistance against the tobacco mosaic virus. Since then, many transgenic plants have been developed and commercialized for improving the agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural value of a crop plant. Transgenic...
Transgenic Organisms
Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
Reproductive Cloning
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
In SCNT, an egg cell is taken from an animal and its nucleus is removed, creating an enucleated egg. Then a somatic cell—any cell that is not a sex...