Visual Simulation of Upland Rice Root as Related to Soil Compaction

The morphological characteristics and the growth features of upland rice root was investigated. A three-dimensional visual simulation model was put forward by using architectural parameters of upland rice root system. Compared with paddy rice root system, the upland rice root system showed different three-dimensional growth rules because the upland rice grew in compaction soil. Therefore upland rice root system model included particular initial location, time of adventitious roots, rate of radial growth, rate of axial growth, the initial stretching angle, and the spatial distribution, etc. The visual simulation of dynamic growth of upland rice root was implemented with SimRoot, a structural-functional model with emphasis on the architecture and function of the root system. The visual simulation not only shows vivid three dimensional structure of dynamic root growth, but also impLies the effect of soil compaction on upland rice root system, which provides a effective methodology for researching on soil-plant system.