Modelling the effects of temperature and photoperiod on soybean reproductive development

Description

It has long been recognized that the development rate and yield of soybean are sensitive to temperature and photoperiod. This chapter considers a range of experimental evidence concerning the precise effects of these factors on soybean reproductive development, and reviews ten diverse methods of mathematically modelling these effects. In the course of this discussion, several scientific questions are raised, such as whether the photoperiod effect exists in post-flowering stages, and what the nature of such an effect might be. It is concluded that quantitative research of integrated modelling and experimentation at gene level may hold the key to improving the modelling of temperature and photoperiod effects on soybean development.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Observed responses of soybean reproductive stages to temperature and photoperiod 3 Modelling approaches for soybean reproductive stages 4 Discussion of models 5 Conclusion 6 References