Plant growth and architectural modelling and its applications PREFACE: PART OF A SPECIAL ISSUE ON GROWTH AND ARCHITECTURAL MODELLING

Over the last decade, a growing number of scientists around the world have invested in research on plant growth and architectural modelling and applications (often abbreviated to plant modelling and applications, PMA). By combining physical and biological processes, spatially explicit models have shown their ability to help in understanding plant-environment interactions. This Special Issue on plant growth modelling presents new information within this topic, which are summarized in this preface. Research results for a variety of plant species growing in the field, in greenhouses and in natural environments are presented. Various models and simulation platforms are developed in this field of research, opening new features to a wider community of researchers and end users. New modelling technologies relating to the structure and function of plant shoots and root systems are explored from the cellular to the whole-plant and plant-community levels.

在过去的十年中，全球越来越多的科学家投入到植物生长以及结构建模与应用（通常缩写为植物建模与应用，PMA）的研究中。通过结合物理和生物过程，空间显式模型已显示出其有助于理解植物 - 环境相互作用的能力。本期关于植物生长建模的特刊在这一主题内呈现了新的信息，本前言对此进行了总结。介绍了在田间、温室和自然环境中生长的多种植物的研究结果。在这一研究领域开发了各种模型和模拟平台，为更广泛的研究人员和终端用户群体提供了新的特性。从细胞到整株植物以及植物群落层面，探索了与植物地上部分和根系结构与功能相关的新建模技术。