HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mann, J. E. Articles by Baker, D. N. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Mann, J. E. Articles by Baker, D. N. Agricola Articles by Mann, J. E. Articles by Baker, D. N.

Light Penetration in a Row-Crop with Random Plant Spacing¹

The quantity of solar radiation penetrating a crop canopy and reaching the soil surface affects greatly the microenvironment beneath the canopy. The influence of this microenvironment upon soil radiation and evaporation as well as upon development and mortality rates of insect plant pests is well known. The development of adequate models of light penetration is an important problem associated with the characterization of the subcanopy microenvironment.

In this paper, an analytical model is proposed which estimates the sunlit soil area within a row crop where plants are randomly spaced along rows. Only direct beam, parallel light is considered. The model combines both individual plant geometry and row structure. for simplicity, plant canopies are assumed to be ellipsoidal in shape. The model incorporates plant sizes, row spacings and azimuthal orientation, foliage density, planting density, leaf orientation, and solar location. Available experimental data are inadequate for a complete validation of the model; however, a relative verification was made by comparing model output to real experimental measurements. Included in the paper is a critique of available data in light of the data requirements necessary for satisfactory model validation.

Key Words: Soil science • Ecology • Agricultural meteorology • Gossypium hirsutum L.

² Mann is from the Dep. of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA 24061, Curry and DeMichele are from the Biosystems Research Division, Dep. of Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX 77843, and Baker is a soil scientist, Mississippi Agric. Exp. Stn.

Received for publication November 9, 1978.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Röhrig, H. Stützel, and C. Alt A Three-Dimensional Approach to Modeling Light Interception in Heterogeneous Canopies Agron. J., November 1, 1999; 91(6): 1024 - 1032. [Abstract] [Full Text]