Dimensionless growth curves as a simple approach to predicting vegetative growth of lettuce

L. D. Albright, A. J. Both, R. W. Langhans, E. F. Wheeler

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Growth equations may be relatively general and describe plant dry mass accumulations based on data representing wide ranges of environment parameter values or they may be narrow and apply only to limited ranges. This paper proposes an empirical approach of the second type, a method to derive, by regression growth functions that can be readily implemented on control computers to improve (or attempt to optimize) growth within a narrow range of growing conditions. The method assumes plant vegetative growth may be predicted by two separable functions which combine by multiplication. One function is based on environmental conditions (air temperature, CO2 concentration, light integral and nutrient solution nitrate concentration, but not root zone temperature). The other function has two parameters, root zone temperature and time. Three data sets of hydroponic lettuce vegetative growth data are analyzed using the method. In each case, converting the original data to dimensionless form permitted the data to be expressed using a single, simple equation that described the original data relatively well.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationIII International Workshop on Models for Plant Growth and Control of the Shoot and Root Environments in Greenhouses
PublisherInternational Society for Horticultural Science
Pages293-300
Number of pages8
ISBN (Print)9789066058125
DOIs
StatePublished - 1999

Publication series

NameActa Horticulturae
Volume507
ISSN (Print)0567-7572

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Horticulture

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