Connecting the Phenotype to the Genotype Through Crop Simulation Models

Crop simulation models (CSMs) are dynamic tools that use mathematical expressions to describe plant growth and developmental processes, which in turn are programmed to respond to environmental inputs. Calibration of CSMs for a particular genotype yields a set of genotype specific model parameters (GSPs); these parameters are associated with diverse growth and developmental functions in the model. Accordingly, BeanGro, a CSM is being calibrated for a set of 180 RI lines of the common bean which have been grown under an experimental design at 5 different sites. These sites include North Dakota, Florida, Puerto Rico, and two altitudinal sites in Colombia. Data collected included weekly destructive samplings (DW of multiple organs) as well as phenology, soil and weather. Genetic/QTL analysis of GSPs can reveal the genes that control them, and proper assessment of the contribution of each QTL can be used to turn each GSP into mathematical functions of the associated QTLs. Overall, this approach can lead to the transformation of a standard CSM into a “gene-based CSM.” A model of this type can serve as a reliable bridge between a genotype and its corresponding range of potential phenotypes that can be generated within a range of environments.