Garden with Insight v1.0 Help: Simulation options window: plants panel

In the simulation options window, the plants panel contains the following items. Click on the Plants button at the bottom of the window to see the plants panel.

The check boxes in the plants panel control whether various processes are carried out by the model every day of the simulation. If an option is checked, the process is turned ON for all plants, overriding any individual settings. This is the default when you create a new garden. If an option is unchecked, the process is turned OFF for all plants. If an option is grayed (filled in but not checked), settings in individual plants are used for the option. You can change options for individual plants in the browser (see the Plant params options group). By default each plant has all processes turned on when it is created.

Act as if these things were optimal

Optimal germination: Germinate this seed at optimal temperature and soil moisture regardless of conditions. Normally germination can be slowed by low or high soil temperatures and dry soil. [how germination works]

Optimal radiation: Grow all plants as if each day was the brightest day of the year and cloudless. That is, use the maximum possible radiation for the year in the current climate (determined by latitude) on each day of the year to calculate plant photosynthesis. [how photosynthesis works]

Optimal water uptake: Grow all plants as if each were in soil saturated with water at all times. 'Optimal' water uptake is still limited by root biomass and distribution and by physical limits on water uptake. The water constraint on growth will always be 1.0 (best). [how water uptake works]

Optimal temperature: Grow all plants as if each were in a tiny greenhouse that provided the temperature determined as 'optimal' (by parameters) for that plant every day of the year. The temperature constraint on growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of air temperature. [how temperature stress works]

Optimal nitrogen uptake: Grow all plants as if each plant were in a growth chamber that supplied the daily amount of nitrogen deemed 'optimal' (as determined by parameters). The nitrogen constraint on plant growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of soil nitrate content. [how nitrogen uptake works]

Optimal phosphorus uptake: Grow all plants as if each plant were in a growth chamber that supplied the daily amount of phosphorus deemed 'optimal' (as determined by parameters). The phosphorus constraint on plant growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of soil labile P content. [how phosphorus uptake works]

Optimal soil strength for root growth: Grow all plants as if soil strength did not impede root growth. Soil strength is a soil's ability to be compressed without deforming and is good for roads but bad for roots. It increases with bulk density, sand content, and water content. [how soil strength stress works]

Ignore these things

Ignore leaf senescence: Do not decrease leaf area index (the ratio of photosynthetic leaf area to ground area) and new photosynthate (sugars produced by photosynthesis) as the plant ages. Normally these processes peak at some point and then decrease with plant (leaf) age. [how leaf area index works]

Ignore aluminum toxicity: Grow all plants as if aluminum toxicity (abundance of aluminum cations due to low pH) did not affect root growth. The aluminum toxicity constraint on root growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of soil aluminum cation concentration. [how aluminum stress works]

Ignore aeration stress: Grow all plants as if inadequate soil aeration (from waterlogging and/or excessive soil compaction) did not affect root growth. The aeration constraint for plant growth will always be 1.0 (best) regardless of soil water content. [how aeration stress works]

Ignore photoperiod: Grow all plants as if each plant were grown in a chamber that provides the perfect photoperiod (day length) regimen the plant requires to flower and fruit. [how flowering works]

Ignore fruit decay: Grow all plants as if reproductive decay did not occur. Reproductive decay reduces the amount of reproductive biomass due to fruit drop and rotting. Reproductive decay was added and is not in the EPIC model. [how fruit decay works]

Ignore annual/biennial limits: Grow all plants as if they were perennial, ignoring annual and biennial limits on growth. Normally, annual plants die after one (calendar) year and biennial plants die after two years, if they are still alive at that time. [how annual/biennial death works]

The simulation options window with plants panel

Option sets

You can also choose one of the quick choice buttons on the right: Magic, Beginner, Advanced or Expert. These sets make growing plants increasingly difficult as you move down the list by changing plant growth options and auto operations. They do not affect the weather soil patch options.

Magic: Turns on all plant optimal growth options and all auto operations.

Beginner: Turns on all plant optimal growth options except optimal germination, optimal radiation, optimal water uptake, optimal temperature, and ignore photoperiod. Turns on all auto operations except auto irrigation.

Advanced: Turns off all plant optimal growth options except optimal phosphorus uptake, optimal soil strength for root growth, ignore leaf senescence, ignore aluminum toxicity, and ignore aeration stress. Turns off all auto operations.

Expert: Turns off all plant optimal growth options all auto operations.

See also:
How to make growing plants easier
How to make growing plants harder