Assessing Light Interception by a Canopy

<A HREF="movies/cotslight.mov">Download movie <IMG HEIGHT="100" SGI_SETHEIGHT="SGI_SETHEIGHT" WIDTH="100" SGI_SETWIDTH="SGI_SETWIDTH" SRC="cotintercept.gif" SGI_FULLPATH="/disk11/people/jim/Docs/WWW/IPI/cotintercept.gif" ALIGN="LEFT">(520k)</A>

A plane can be passed through the canopy at any angle to correspond to incident sunlight at any time of day. The presence of plant material to that level can then be detected by comparing the black to the white area. Various indices can then be calculated such as the total thickness of plant material above a specified level to indicate how much direct (rather than diffuse) light would be intercepted before reaching that level. This animation shows a horizontal plane passed vertically down through a single plant. In a research study, planes at a range of angles would be passed through a small stand of virtual cotton plants. Plant spacings and plant characteristics such as leaf shape, petiole length and branching angles could be varied between simulations so that the best arrangement for light interception could be found. This information would be useful to plant breeders and agronomists.

Overhead view (599k)

Last updated: Jim Hanan, 15 January 1997.