Optimization of Intercropping Planting Distance Using an Exhaustive Algorithm and Functional - Structural Plant Model

In intercropping distance research, traditional field experiments are time-consuming and tedious, and cannot be applied to quantitative interspecific distance quickly. Therefore it has become a big concern for researchers in this field to further reduce manual operation, and more automatically and quickly get the optimal planting distance. In this paper, an optimization algorithm was applied to the intercropping distance of maize/soybean, which was based on a maize/soybean functional-structural model. We first built a maize and a soybean morphology model. Then based on the morphology models of the two crops, a functional-structural model of intercropping maize/soybean was established. We used an exhaustive search algorithm to change the plant positions by small increments and computed the corresponding light interception. Thus we can find the optimal distance combination that maximizes the light interception. Our method provides new ideas about intercropping for scholars who study intercropping models, and also gives users a reasonable suggestion for intercropping planting.