Open GrowManyFruits.gsz

This model produces a virtual plant canopy, initially consisting of 16 plants (four rows of four plants each). When you run the model, you will get the 3D visual output and also some curves (in the chart “MODEL OUTPUT”) indicating the dynamics of several yield-related state variables: light absorbed by lower and upper leaves, light absorbed by soil, number of shed leaves, number of flowers and fruits, and the assimilates produced by lower and upper leaves (where ranks 1 - 4 are lower leaves, and ranks 5 - 9 are upper leaves). At this stage you are not supposed to understand all the workings of the model, the objective of this exercice is for you to play the grower and to change a limited number of agronomic and genetic parameters (planting density, plant architecture). The parameters you may change in the code can be found in Example1.rgg, lines 5 - 13:

/* Parameters you may change: */
public @Editable @Range(min=90,max=200) float GOLDEN_ANGLE = 137.5; //137.5;      
public @Editable @Range(min=30,max=90) float BRANCH_ANGLE = 50;//50
float LEAF_ANGLE = BRANCH_ANGLE+10; //70
const float LEAF_CURVATURE = 2; //between 1 and 5
const float LEAF_FOLDING = 20; //20 between 0 and 50
public @Editable @Range(min=9,max=20) int PHYLLOCHRON = 9; //15  between 9 and 20
public @Editable @Range(min=1,max=5) int PL_NO = 4; //5 
public @Editable @Range(min=1,max=5) int ROW_NO = 4; //4
public @Editable @Range(min=1,max=10) int FINAL_LEAF_SIZE = 4; //4

However, it is also possible (and much easier?) to use the sliders for this: click on the tab Meta Objects (bottom left) then you will see in the Attribute Editor window (almost) the same parameters:

Task: run the model, and see how many fruits you get in the end! By changing plant density, can you increase the number of fruits?

Next, you may increase or decrease branching angle, leaf angle, final leaf size, leaf curvature, leaf folding, and phyllochron by up to 20 per cent to optimize fruit yield. Note that you cannot change leaf curvature and leaf folding from the slider panel, you need to modify the code and recompile.

N.B.: After having changed values with the slider, you have to press the Reset button for the new values to take effect, then press the Run Grow button. If you recompile the code (by saving Example1.rgg“), the default parameters (L. 5-12) will be chosen again!

Finally, note that this model is just a traing tool (toy…), and not based on any measurements of real plants!