XVI International Botanical Congess

The architecture of the root system plays a crucial role in the soil plant system. Our modelling work during the last ten years is presented through modelling steps. The first is the identification of various components and developmental processes, and translation of these processes into formal rules which apply on the defined components. A second step is the integration of sub-models, at the root tip level, describing the local interactions with the soil characteristics. A third step is the allocation of carbohydrate resources between the competing sinks. In these models, the differen Perspectives are presented with three main directions: simultaneous dynamics of the root system architecture and its environment, interaction between the root system and micro-organisms, transport of resources and information within the root system..