Background and Aims The strong influence of environment and functioning on plant
organogenesis has been well documented by botanists but is poorly reproduced in most functional-structural models. In this context, a model of interactions is proposed between plant
organogenesis and plant functional mechanisms. Methods The GreenLab model
derived from
AMAP models was used. Organogenetic rules give the plant architecture, which defines an interconnected network of
organs. The plant is considered as a collection of interacting 'sinks' that compete for the allocation of photosynthates coming from 'sources'. A single variable characteristic of the balance between sources and
sinks during plant growth controls different events in plant development, such as the number of branches or the fruit load. Key Results Variations in the environmental parameters related to light and
density induce changes in plant morphogenesis. Architecture appears as the dynamic result of this balance, and plant plasticity expresses itself very simply at different levels: appearance of branches and reiteration, number of
organs, fructification and adaptation of ecophysiological characteristics. Conclusions The modelling framework serves as a tool for theoretical botany to explore the emergence of specific morphological and architectural patterns and can help to understand plant
phenotypic plasticity and its strategy in response to
environmental changes.
