ISHS Acta Horticulturae 456: II Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control and Farm Management in Protected Cultivation
MODELING POINSETTIA VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT: THE RESPONSE TO THE RATIO OF RADIANT TO THERMAL ENERGY |
| Authors: | B. Liu, Royal D. Heins |
| Keywords: | Light, poinsettia, simulation, temperature |
| Abstract:
The relationships between poinsettia vegetative growth/development and light/temperature have been modeled using the computer software STELLA II. The model development was based on greenhouse experiments conducted with 27 treatments; i.e., factorial number combinations of three levels of constant temperature (19, 23, or 27 °C), three levels of daily light integral (5, 10, or 20 mol m-2 day -1), and three levels of plant spacing (15 x 15, 22 x 22, or 30 x 30 cm). Agreement between simulated and actual data for all 27 treatments is reasonably good (R2 > 0.94) for all considered plant characteristics; i.e., plant dry weight, leaf number, leaf area index, and leaf area. Results from the simulation with different levels of daily light integral, temperature, and plant spacing confirm that the ratio of radiant to thermal energy (RRT) is a useful parameter for plant growth, development, and quality control. The RRT significantly affects leaf unfolding rate when RRT is lower than 0.025 mol degree-day-1 plant-1. Plant dry weight is highly correlated with RRT; it increases linearly as RRT increases. | |
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