New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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Monte Carlo simulation of solar radiation in maize canopies and its visualisation

Zhang Yuan^1,2

Lao Cailian^1,2

Li Baoguo^1,*

Chen Yan¹

Guo Yan¹

Wang Xiping¹

Ma Yuntao¹

Zhao Ming^2,*

¹College of Resources and Environments
China Agricultural University
17 Tsinghua East Road Beijing, 100083
China

²College of Information and Electronic Engineering
China Agricultural University
17 Tsinghua East Road Beijing, 100083
China

^*Author for correspondence: libg@cau.edu.cn
zhaoming@cau.edu.cn

Abstract The spatial distribution of solar radiation casts important influences on eco-physiological functions of plant canopies. A simulation model of the three-dimensional (3D) effect of direct and indirect solar radiation in real maize canopies is developed from measured 3D canopy structure meshes. The model includes two procedures: parallel direct light pass and diffusive indirect radiation pass. The former one is based on the Monte Carlo ray tracing algorithm. After enough ray casting, the radiation is obtained. Then, the diffusive indirect radiation pass uses a modified Monte Carlo radiosity model to evaluate the diffusion distribution. Results indicate that simulated sun fleck ratio is significantly consistent with the measured dataset.

Keywords Monte Carlo algorithm; plant canopy; radiosity; ray tracing; three-dimensional distribution

A07061; Online publication date 4 December 2007; Received and accepted 10 August 2007

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2007, Vol. 50: 553–558
0028–8233/07/5005–0553 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2007

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