Virtual Gardening - Part 1
Yesterday I had an interesting discussion with a faculty member of the
Wageningen University in the Netherlands. It was an informal gathering, but
between the peanuts, beer and cola he told me some pretty interesting stuff.
First we
were talking about the adaptation qualities some plants seem to have. In what
way and how do they adapt.
My for
this post anonymous researcher told me that you can always see plant adapting to
their environment. Take a look at a lot of plants growing together compared to
some “loners” of the same species in an isolated spot.
The
reason for this is the competition between plants, plants growing in close
proximity to each other will grow longer stems and larger leafs growing more
upright to the sun. This is really a nice try to eliminate the competition. The
grow high and form large leafs to get the most sunlight on the system.
But how do they do it?
It seems like a smart move,
but how do they do it. Humans living in densely populated areas are no different
than those living in rural areas.
There seem to be a few
mechanisms involved in this process. Think about the overall influence of
photosynthesis. A lot of plants on a small piece of land mean low sunlight
conditions at the bottom. Plants notice changes in light, but also they detect
the amount of output from their surrounding fellow plants. The know how they are
doing among their peers. And there also seem to be relationships’ based on
mutuality. There is a lot still to be
learned , but in computer models we can now predict the end result of a plants
growth.
We develop 3D models of
growth and development. In our computer model we also program data about the
know adaptation mechanisms in and adjust when needed.
Use our site map to find your way if you get lost along our garden path or find information on individual cultivars in Plants A to Z.
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