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Garden with Insight v1.0 Help: Plant params options group

Act as if temperature were optimal: Grow this plant as if it were in a tiny greenhouse that provides the temperature determined as 'optimal' (by parameters) for this plant every day of the year. The temperature constraint on growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of air temperature.

Act as if water uptake were optimal: Grow this plant as if it were in soil saturated with water at all times. 'Optimal' water uptake is still limited by root biomass and distribution and by physical limits on water uptake. The water constraint on growth will always be 1.0 (best).

Use maximum possible radiation to calculate photosynthesis: Grow this plant as if each day was the brightest day of the year and cloudless. That is, use the maximum possible radiation for the year in the current climate (determined by latitude) on each day of the year to calculate plant photosynthesis.

Act as if nitrogen uptake were optimal: Grow this plant as if it were in a growth chamber that supplies the daily amount of nitrogen deemed 'optimal' (as determined by parameters). The nitrogen constraint on plant growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of soil nitrate content.

Act as if phosphorus uptake were optimal: Grow this plant as if it were in a growth chamber that supplies the daily amount of phosphorus deemed 'optimal' (as determined by parameters). The phosphorus constraint on plant growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of soil labile P content.

Act as if soil strength were optimal for root growth: Grow this plant as if soil strength did not impede root growth. Soil strength is a soil's ability to be compressed without deforming and is good for roads but bad for roots. It increases with bulk density, sand content, and water content.

Ignore aeration stress (waterlogging): Grow this plant as if inadequate soil aeration (from waterlogging and/or excessive soil compaction) did not affect root growth. The aeration constraint for plant growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of soil water content.

Ignore aluminum toxicity of soil: Grow this plant as if aluminum toxicity (abundance of aluminum cations due to low pH) did not affect root growth. The aluminum toxicity constraint on root growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of soil aluminum cation concentration.

Act as if temperature and soil water were optimal for germination: Germinate this seed at optimal temperature and soil moisture regardless of conditions. Normally germination can be slowed by low or high soil temperatures and dry soil.
Ignore leaf senescence: Do not decrease leaf area index (the ratio of photosynthetic leaf area to ground area) and new photosynthate (sugars produced by photosynthesis) as this plant ages. Normally these processes peak at some point and then decrease with plant (leaf) age.

Ignore photoperiod for flowering and fruiting: Grow this plant as if it were in a growth chamber that provides the perfect photoperiod (day length) regimen this plant requires to flower and fruit.

Ignore fruit decay: Grow this plant as if reproductive decay did not occur. Reproductive decay reduces the amount of reproductive biomass due to fruit drop and rotting. Reproductive decay was added and is not in the EPIC model.

Ignore annual/biennial limits on life cycle: Grow this plant as if it were perennial, ignoring its normal annual or biennial limit on growth. Normally, annual plants die after one (calendar) year and biennial plants die after two years, if they are still alive at that time.

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Updated: March 10, 1999. Questions/comments on site to webmaster@kurtz-fernhout.com.
Copyright © 1998, 1999 Paul D. Fernhout & Cynthia F. Kurtz.