Schnepf Andrea, Black Christopher K, Couvreur Valentin, Delory Benjamin M, Doussan Claude, Koch Axelle, Koch Timo, Javaux Mathieu, Landl Magdalena, Leitner Daniel, Lobet Guillaume, Mai Trung Hieu, Meunier Félicien, Petrich Lukas, Postma Johannes A, Priesack Eckart, Schmidt Volker, Vanderborght Jan, Vereecken Harry, Weber Matthias
Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften: Agrosphäre (IBG-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.
International Soil Modelling Consortium ISMC, Jülich, Germany.
Front Plant Sci. 2020 Mar 31;11:316. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00316. eCollection 2020.
Three-dimensional models of root growth, architecture and function are becoming important tools that aid the design of agricultural management schemes and the selection of beneficial root traits. However, while benchmarking is common in many disciplines that use numerical models, such as natural and engineering sciences, functional-structural root architecture models have never been systematically compared. The following reasons might induce disagreement between the simulation results of different models: different representation of root growth, sink term of root water and solute uptake and representation of the rhizosphere. Presently, the extent of discrepancies is unknown, and a framework for quantitatively comparing functional-structural root architecture models is required. We propose, in a first step, to define benchmarking scenarios that test individual components of complex models: root architecture, water flow in soil and water flow in roots. While the latter two will focus mainly on comparing numerical aspects, the root architectural models have to be compared at a conceptual level as they generally differ in process representation. Therefore, defining common inputs that allow recreating reference root systems in all models will be a key challenge. In a second step, benchmarking scenarios for the coupled problems are defined. We expect that the results of step 1 will enable us to better interpret differences found in step 2. This benchmarking will result in a better understanding of the different models and contribute toward improving them. Improved models will allow us to simulate various scenarios with greater confidence and avoid bugs, numerical errors or conceptual misunderstandings. This work will set a standard for future model development.
根系生长、结构和功能的三维模型正成为重要工具，有助于农业管理方案的设计以及有益根系性状的选择。然而，尽管在许多使用数值模型的学科（如自然科学和工程科学）中基准测试很常见，但功能-结构根系结构模型从未被系统地比较过。以下原因可能导致不同模型的模拟结果存在差异：根系生长的不同表示、根系水分和溶质吸收的汇项以及根际的表示。目前，差异程度尚不清楚，因此需要一个定量比较功能-结构根系结构模型的框架。我们建议，第一步，定义基准测试场景，以测试复杂模型的各个组成部分：根系结构、土壤中的水流和根系中的水流。虽然后两者将主要侧重于比较数值方面，但根系结构模型必须在概念层面进行比较，因为它们在过程表示上通常存在差异。因此，定义允许在所有模型中重建参考根系的通用输入将是一个关键挑战。第二步，定义耦合问题的基准测试场景。我们预计第一步的结果将使我们能够更好地解释第二步中发现的差异。这种基准测试将有助于更好地理解不同模型，并有助于改进它们。改进后的模型将使我们能够更有信心地模拟各种场景，并避免错误、数值误差或概念误解。这项工作将为未来的模型开发设定标准。
