Development and application of models for soil-plant-atmosphere interactions to optimize resource capture and management of low-input systems

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The overall aim of this project is to develop and apply models for soil-plant-atmosphere interactions to assess productivity and impacts of new cropping systems under climatic variability (global change). These will operate over different scales and complexities. Particular focus will be on finding low input optima for maximising productivity from perennial bioenergy crops whilst minimising costs and environmental impacts. Concepts established for arable crops are being expanded to biomass crops, e.g. rhizomatous grasses. Initially, emphasis is given to quantifying crop responses to water stress and temperature, and to evaluating different crop growth strategies (evasion, enhanced exploration, recycling of reserves).

The objective is to develop process-based models in perennial bioenergy crops (a) to quantify fluxes of energy, water and matter between the crops and their environment and (b) to describe phenotypic and physiological crop response to different environmental and climatic conditions. Specific objectives are (1) to implement models of sink-source regulation, above-belowground interaction, and morphological and plant architectural development, and (2) to use generic tools of model evaluation (sensitivity, uncertainty analysis) in aid to select phenotypic traits and (3) to simulate scenarios to quantify the crop response for different environments.

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