Simulating the architectural development of apple trees
2004
Renton, Michael | Costes, Evelyne | Guédon, Yann | Godin, Christophe
From several years, we have been studying the intra-specific variability of apple tree architectural development. These studies were based on a similar method for measuring and analysing plant architecture, which combines topological and geometrical descriptions of plants at several scales simultaneously. 3D mock-ups were then built from the collected databases and these were used for exploring both the architectural development of trees and the within-tree variability. The goal of the present study is to further develop investigations by integrating the acquired knowledge regarding both the topology and geometry of apple trees. This is achieved by integrating the corresponding models - Hidden semi-Markov chains for branching and biomechanical model for geometric changes - into a more global model, which allows us to simulate the architectural development of the trees being studied. The chosen approach is based on the L-system formalism, which consists of re-writing rules that simulate the development of branching systems. The study was carried out on two apple cultivars, Fuji and Braeburn, for which large architectural databases have been collected. The models that have been inferred at local scales will be presented first. The present paper will focus on models that represent branching distribution along shoots and the allometric relationships at the scale of annual shoots. The preliminary results of the integration of these models into L-system programs will be presented, together with the 3D simulations that are obtained. The methods for the validation of the 3D mock-ups at larger scales (such as branches and whole trees) and the definition of relevant variables for model validation will also be discussed. (Résumé d'auteur)
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