University of Bath PHD The development of a micro-computerised plant establishment and growth model for use with landscape taxa Hope, Frank Award date: 1990 Awarding institution: University of Bath Link to publication Alternative formats If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact: [email protected] General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 09. Oct. 2021 THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MICRO-COMPUTERISED PLANT ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH MODEL FOR USE WITH LANDSCAPE TAXA submitted by Frank Hope for the degree of Ph.D of the University of Bath 1990 "Attention is drawn to the fact that copyright of this thesis rests with its author. This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and that no quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without prior written consent of the author". "This thesis may be made available for consultation within the University Library and may be photocopied or lent to other libraries for the purposes of consultation". 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CONTENTS Page: Acknowledgements vi Abstract viii Preface ix Section I 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Traditional horticultural practices 3 1.2 Factors which influence establishment and growth on contemporary amenity sites 5 1.2.1 Selection of taxa which are suitable for specific soil, site and climatic conditions 8 1.2.2 The size of planting material 9 1.2.3 Plant hardiness 10 1.2.4 Overall stock quality 11 1.2.5 Stock handling and subsequent planting 12 1.3 Attempts to predict crop establishment and growth 13 1.3.1 Methods of predicting establishment and growth 13 1.3.2 Predicting performance of short term monocrops 15 1.3.3 Predicting performance of long term monocrops 17 1.4 The predictive use of models 18 1.4.1 The ideal predictive model 19 Page: 1.5 Modelling of plant related climatic features 21 1.5.1 Climatic data used in this model 25 1.6 Modelling the establishment and growth of ornamental taxa 27 1.6.1 Taxon related data used in this model 28 1.6.2 Weaknesses apparent in contemporary literature 28 1.7 Modelling soil and site related features 31 1.7.1 Soil and site related data used in this model 33 2.0 The development of computer data storage techniques 35 3.0 The development of a computer model 37 3.1 Database management 37 3.2 Dedicated models 40 3.3 Identifying the problem to be solved 41 4.0 Detail of the assessment model development 43 4.1 Introduction programme (Main menu) 43 4.2 Plant assessment model 44 4.3 Data input/modification 50 5.0 The copying of programmes and data 52 6.0 The selection of computer hardware 53 7.0 The selection of a computer language 58 8.0 The development of the actual programmes 62 8.1 Efficient use of memory and storage devices 63 ii Page 8.2 Programme execution speed 66 8.3 The time taken to complete the programming 69 8.4 The usefulness of the finished programmes 72 8.5 Reliability of the hardu/are and programmes 73 8.6 The ease of maintaining the programmes 78 8.7 Overall attractiveness of the programmes 79 8.8 Documentation of the hardware and programmes 81 Section II 1.0 Introduction 84 2.0 The climatic model 85 2.1 Available climatic modifications 86 2.1.1 Altitude 88 to M CO Exposure 90 2.1.3 Coastal proximity 93 2.2 Major climate related criteria 94 CM CM iH Air temperatures 95 to to to Earth temperatures 96 to to CO Rainfall 96 to to Potential transpiration 97 2.2.5 Effective transpiration 99 2.2.6 Total hours of bright sunlight 100 to to -o Daylength 101 to to 00 Solar radiation 102 iii Page 2.2.9 :Illumination 104 2.2.10 Accumulated day-degrees above 10 degrees centigrade 104 2.2.11 Accumulated day-degrees below zero degrees centigrade 106 2.2.12 Last expected spring frost 108 2.2.13 Soil moisture deficit 108 2.2.14 Seasonal end of field capacity 110 2.2.15 Return of soil to field capacity 112 2.2.16 Excess winter rain 113 3.0 Soil and site related criteria 114 3.1 Soil textural group 115 3.2 Soil depth 118 3.3 Soil drainage characteristics 119 3.4 Groundwater effect 120 3.5 Slope 121 3.6 Possibility of erosion 122 3.7 Soil structure 123 3.8 Presence of soil pans 124 3.9 Soil pH rating 125 3.10 Organic matter content 126 3.11 Calcium carbonate content 128 3.12 Soil nutrient status 129 3.13 Artificial protection 132 3.14 Weed control 134 3.15 Artificial irrigation 144 4.0 Advisory notes and recommendations 150 5.0 Plant intolerances 152 iv Page: 5.1 Soil texture 153 5.2 Soil depth 154 5.3 Soil moisture 155 5.4 Soil pH 155 5.5 Maritime conditions 156 5.6 Site exposure 157 5.7 Late spring frosts 157 5.8 Seasonal water-logging 158 5.9 Plant intolerance data 159 6.0 Assessment of planthardiness 160 Discussion 163 References 173 Appendix A Pre-recorded data stored u/ithin the programme Appendix B Growing-Season climatic data Appendix C Dormant-Season climatic data Appendix D Pre-recorded soil and site related data Appendix E Notes and recommendations Appendix F Experimental data v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I u/ould like to express my sincere gratitude to the following people and organisations for their help and encouragement during this project : Peter Thoday, my supervisor for his guidance, encouragement and friendship. Dr. Tony Kendle, now at the University of Reading, for his programming suggestions and testing of the model. Derek Hargreaves, for his friendship, and for never saying no when I need help. Danny Ellis, whose gifts of computer hardware and software are beyond belief. Richard Turner and the British Sugar Corporation, for their considerable help. Brian Church, of Rothamsted for statistical advice. Robert and James Hemmant, for helping to secure adequate plant material. Anne and Mark Peel, for all their help and encouragement. Ernest and Jean Hurn, for not understanding me, but always being there when I needed them. Special thanks must be made to all the people who have taken the trouble to test the model, and make constructive suggestions for its improvement. Finally, I would like to thank Margaret, my wife. How she has tolerated my constant prattling about computers is beyond me - I'm glad that she has. vii ABSTRACT This study investigates the feasibility of a micro­ computer based plant establishment and growth model, which can be used as a means of storing and manipulating information relating to the cultivation of decorative landscape taxa in England and Wales. The work includes four experiments in establishment husbandry, which investigate the feasibility of field work to provide information on specific ornamental husbandry practices. The study investigates computerised plant establishment and growth modelling in relation to climatic and site requirements, and the production of a micro-computer programme to enable the formulation of accurate predictions of plant performance. The work highlights the requirements of modern landscape management and has brought together environmental data essential for the formulation of accurate establishment and growth predictions. The computer model demonstrates the potential for such a predictive approach to selecting landscape plants. All data are formatted for inclusion in a practical working landscape based model, including the ability to predict the suitability of taxa for climatic, site and specific intolerances. viii PREFACE There is a distinct need for readily available information relating to the interaction between both landscape design and the horticultural performance of decorative taxa. Yet, there is a dearth of knowledge in respect of specific site and climatic interactions with such plants. The current work explores the issues of what the necessary requirements for successful establishment and growth are, and the ways of evaluating and treating a site to gain the maximum advantage from it.