Modelling of Branch and Flower Expansion in GreenLab Model to Account for the Whole Crop Cycle of Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)

Functional-structural Plant Models are interesting tools to study interactions between architecture and environmental conditions. In the case of Winter Oilseed Rape (WOSR), we need a plant model that accounts for the role of source:sink relationships in the architectural development. GreenLab model is a good candidate because it was already used to evidence interactions between source:sink relationships and architecture for other species. However, its adaptation to WOSR is a challenge because of the complexity of its developmental scheme especially during reproductive phase. Indeed, we need to take into account the different timings of branch expansion and pod setting. Therefore two equations were added in GreenLab model to compute expansion delays for respectively branching and flowering of each axis.Experimental field data were used to estimate morphological parameters such as phyllochron, podochron,(equivalent to phyllochron but for pods), leaf expansion duration, and leaf life span. These data were also used to calibrate the source:sink module of the model. First results indicated that the model simulates properly the dynamics of plant growth and development during both vegetative and reproductive phases.