How to include organ interactions in models of the root system architecture?
A first generation of models describing the development of the root system architecture did not include explicitly the allocation of resources. These models aimed to mimic the morphogenetic programme, by translating the developmental events into a set of formal production rules. The major strength of these models was their ability to simulate simply the relevant topological characteristics of the root systems. However, the root system development is known to be highly sensitive to carbon limitations. These effects appear first at the root system level, whose global size can be greatly affected by the amount of carbohydrates which are available for the root system development (depending on the carbon budget within the whole plant). Moreover, competition for carbohydrates within the root system accounts for multiple architectural variations which appear in the heterogeneous soil environment. For example, compensatory growth is a common behaviour within root systems. These phenomena can b
