ArchiSimple: A parsimonious model of the root system architecture

Abstract

Models of the root system architecture are useful tools for studying the plant soil system, and many of these models have been published during the last decades. They capture several specific and interesting characteristics: (i) they simulate both the structure and spatial distribution of the root system; (ii) they allow a straightforward integration of developmental processes at the root level (e.g. elongation, branching) and their interaction with soil properties; (iii) they enable the simulation of root shoot communication via plant resources or signals. Though, few of them have been integrated into larger crop models, probably because they are not simple enough, too specific of given species or young stages, and many of them do not have an explicit connection to the shoot system and the soil.