MODELING AND SIMULATION OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE OIL-PALM (ELAEIS-GUINEENSIS JACQ) ROOT-SYSTEM .1. THE MODEL

The objective of this work was to model the architecture and growth dy namics of the oil-palm root system. The morphological and functional u nit of the root system, called ''root architectural unit'' and its dev elopment sequence enabled us to establish the basis of a mathematical formalization of the root system architecture. The topology of the bra nched structures and the processes of growth, branching and mortality were described and modelled by stochastic processes (graph model, auto mata, laws of probability). The models obtained were then combined wit h geometrical parameters in an overall mathematical model: the referen ce axis. Simulation of this model provided 3-D numerical models. Valid ations of the overall model based on comparing the 3-D numerical model s with observed root systems, appeared satisfactory.