ISHS Acta Horticulturae 456: II Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control and Farm Management in Protected Cultivation
MODELLING NITRATE UPTAKE BY GREENHOUSE TOMATO CROPS AT THE SHORT AND LONG TIME SCALES |
| Authors: | J. Le Bot, S. Adamowicz, P. Robin, J.L. Andriolo, C. Gary |
| Keywords: | mineral nutrition, crop growth, leaf area expansion, carbon balance |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.456.27 |
| Abstract:
In this paper we present nitrogen uptake models elaborated from our results on tomato plants. We investigated on the relation between nitrogen (N) uptake and carbon metabolism both at the short time-scale level, through studies of photosynthesis and assimilates distribution, and at the long time-scale level, through studies of growth and biomass accumulation. Three models are presented. At the short-time scale, a carbon budget model relates N uptake to root respiration. At the long-time scale, concepts developed on grasses are used to model N uptake from total dry biomass accumulation. We also used a relation between plant N accumulation and leaf area development to model N uptake and explain the dynamics of %N decline in dry matter during crop development. These model could serve as an alternative to the current fertilization practice where empirical relations linking nutrient and water uptakes over long periods of time are use for operational-level decision-taking. Changes in the practices are needed to overcome the frequent salinity drifts observed in rockwool slabs or nitrate pollution in the run-off. | |
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