Developmental Stages in Dynamic Plant Growth Models

During the growth of red beet plants in a closed environment plant growth chamber, a change in metabolism was observed (decreasing photosynthetic quotient) which was not predicted by a previously developed simple dynamic model of photosynthesis and respiration reactions. The incorporation of developmental stages into the model allowed for the representation of this change in metabolism without adding unnecessary complexity. Developmental stages were implemented by dividing the model into two successive sub‐models with independent yields. The transition between the phases was detected based on online measurements. Results showed an accurate prediction of carbon dioxide and oxygen fluxes.