Theoretical Production Ecology - Phases in Crop Growth

Phases in Crop Growth

Theoretical production ecology assumes that the growth of common agricultural crops, such as cereals and tubers, usually consists of four (or five) phases:

• Germination - Agronomical research has indicated a temperature dependence of germination time (GT, in days). Each crop has a unique critical temperature (CT, dimension temperature) and temperature sum (dimensions temperature times time), which are related as follows.

When a crop has a temperature sum of e.g. 150 °C·d and a critical temperature of 10 °C, it will germinate in 15 days when temperature is 20 °C, but in 10 days when temperature is 25 °C. When the temperature sum exceeds the threshold value, the germination process is complete.

• Initial spread - In this phase, the crop does not cover the field yet. The growth of the crop is linearly dependent on leaf area index, which in its turn is linearly dependent on crop biomass. As a result, crop growth in this phase is exponential.
• Total coverage of field - in this phase, growth is assumed to be linearly dependent on incident light and respiration rate, as nearly 100% of all incident light is intercepted. Typically, the Leaf Area Index (LAI) is above two to three in this phase. This phase of vegetative growth ends when the plant gets a certain environmental or internal signal and starts generative growth (as in cereals and pulses) or the storage phase (as in tubers).
• Allocation to storage organs - in this phase, up to 100% of all production is directed to the storage organs. Generally, the leafs are still intact and as a result, gross primary production stays the same. Prolonging this phase, e.g. by careful fertilization, water and pest management results directly in a higher harvest.
• Ripening - in this phase, leafs and other production structures slowly die off. Their carbohydrates and proteins are transported to the storage organs. As a result, the LAI and, hence, the primary production decreases.