Mathematical Explanation of Plant Stories: Modeling of Plant Growth and Metabolite Biosynthesis Dynamics

Plant growth is governed by processes such as photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, carbon allocation, and cell division, while metabolite synthesis involves tightly regulated biochemical pathways producing primary and secondary metabolites. These are complex biological processes regulated by genetic, environmental, and physiological factors. Traditional experimental approaches, although essential, are often time-consuming and limited in their ability to explore large parameter spaces or predict system-level responses. Mathematical models, ranging from differential equation systems to data-driven and hybrid models, offer a complementary approach by translating biological mechanisms into quantitative relationships. Meanwhile, mathematical modeling provides a powerful framework to integrate these factors, quantify their interactions, predict plant behavior, and provide key information related to bioactive substance accumulation under varying conditions. Such models can enhance understanding of growth–metabolism coupling and support rational decision-making in agriculture and plant biotechnology. This Research Topic aims to converge up-to-date mathematical models to describe plant growth dynamics and the synthesis of key plant metabolites, with the goal of improving crop productivity, resource efficiency, and metabolic optimization. All universal modeling approaches such as response surface methodology (RSM) and ordinary differential equations (ODEs), as well as special-interest modeling methods like fractal modeling and geometric modeling, with particular emphasis on the mathematical relationship between independent variables (i.e., lighting parameters, environmental factors, nutrient application, stress conditions, etc.) and dependent variables (i.e., biomass, morphology, metabolite levels, etc.), are welcome.This Research Topic is expected to deliver validated mathematical models that quantitatively link external/internal impacts with plant growth and metabolite synthesis. The models will provide insights into how environmental conditions and internal regulation affect biomass production and metabolic output. Such knowledge can support optimized fertilization and irrigation strategies, guide metabolic engineering efforts, and reduce experimental costs by narrowing down optimal conditions prior to laboratory or field trials. This topic project will contribute to a deeper, system-level understanding of plant growth and metabolism. The constructed models are potentially supposed to serve as valuable tools in sustainable agriculture, crop improvement, and plant system biology.The main objectives of this Research Topic are:1. To construct mathematical models describing plant biomass accumulation and morphological variation under varying environmental conditions (light, temperature, water, and nutrients)2. To develop kinetic models for the biosynthesis of selected plant metabolites (e.g., sugars, amino acids, carotenoids, phenolic compounds or other secondary metabolites)3. To integrate growth and metabolite models into a unified framework that captures resource allocation between growth and metabolism4. To validate model predictions using experimental or published datasets Topic editors: Jim Junhui Huang, Xiaolan Rao Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79123/mathematical-explanation-of-plant-stories-modeling-of-plant-growth-and-metabolite-biosynthesis-dynamics