Abstract
Functional-structural plant models combine tree architecture with mathematical functions that describe plant physiology, development and growth. These models are run on a computer to create virtual plants or simulations that can be used to understand how plants grow and to test ideas that would be hard to measure in the field; for example, how carbohydrates are shared between fruits, leaves and stems in the tree. The simulations are compared with field data and employed to improve management practices, such as defining the planting density that maximizes orchard productivity.
Project funding acknowledgements
Hort Innovation, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australian Government, QAAFI/UQ
Dr Inigo Auzmendi
Dr Inigo Auzmendi is a Research Fellow at the QAAFI Centre of Horticultural Science. He is focused on understanding how horticultural crops grow and produce under contrasting environmental and management conditions, with the final aim of improving fruit growers’ productivity and profitability, as well as environmental and societal benefits, leading to improved sustainability. Inigo designs and implements functional-structural plant models to study architecture, vegetative vigour, crop load, light interception and their interactions in macadamia, avocado and mango orchard trees as part of the program National Tree Crop Intensification in Horticulture.
Contact: Dr Inigo Auzmendi Research Fellow at the QAAFI Centre of Horticultural Science at University of Queensland, St Lucia, email: i.auzmendi@uq.edu.au
About Science Seminars
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation hosts science seminars across the disciplines of animal, horticulture, crop, food and nutritional sciences.
With a range of speakers from Australia and abroad, the series explores how high-impact science will significantly improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the tropical and sub-tropical food, fibre and agribusiness sectors.
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The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation is a research institute at The University of Queensland supported by the Queensland Government via the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
