Architectural analysis of herbaceous crop species: a comparative study of maize (Zea mays L.) and garden pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Some results of the application of the method of architectural analysis, or iginally designed for trees, to crop species are reviewed. They are illustr ated through a comparison between two species, maize (Zea mays L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.). It is shown that despite huge apparent differences in p hysiognomy, similarities in architectural development can be found, and exp ressed within the framework of architectural analysis. The relevance of the se results for architectural modelling, crop ecophysiology and architectura l studies is discussed. It is argued that one of the main benefits of an in terdisciplinary approach probably is at the inter-specific comparative leve l, and that it may allow for the development of rather general structure-fu nction architectural models, with a clarification of significant specific t raits. ((C) Inra/Elsevier, Paris.).