ILeaf

The ILeaf interface defines the required properties and methods for organ Leaf.

Overview

The leaf component represents the photosynthetic and structural organ responsible for intercepting light and contributing to growth. The ILeaf interface defines a set of rules that any leaf model must follow to ensure compatibility within the plant framework. It allows the plant system to interact with the leaf component in a standardised way, regardless of the specific implementation (e.g., Leaf or SimpleLeaf).

The interface tracks the number of leaf cohorts, the number of leaves that have appeared or expanded, and provides mechanisms for thinning, removal, and resetting of leaf states.

Model Variables

This section lists the key variables that describe or control the behaviour of this component. Some variables can be adjusted by the user to modify how the model behaves (configurable), while others are calculated internally and can be viewed as model outputs (reportable). For a general explanation of variable types and how they are used within the APSIM Next Generation framework, see the Model Variables Overview.

Configurable and Reportable Properties

No configurable properties are available for this function.

Read-Only Reportable Properties

Property	Type	Description
CohortsInitialised	Boolean	Indicates whether leaf cohorts have been initialised in the simulation.
PlantAppearedLeafNo	Numeric	Number of leaves that have appeared on the plant.
InitialisedCohortNo	Integer	Number of leaf cohorts that have been initialised since the start of the simulation.
AppearedCohortNo	Integer	Number of leaf cohorts that have fully appeared at the top of the plant.
TipsAtEmergence	Integer	Number of leaf tips visible when the plant emerges.
CohortsAtInitialisation	Integer	Number of leaf cohorts present when the leaf component is first initialised.
ApicalCohortNo	Integer	Number of leaf cohorts at the apex that are yet to expand.

Processes and Algorithms

This section describes the scientific processes and algorithms represented by this component. Each process corresponds to a biological, physical, or chemical mechanism simulated during a model time step. Where appropriate, equations or conceptual summaries are provided to explain how the process operates within the APSIM Next Generation framework.

DoThin

This method simulates the thinning of leaf material in response to environmental conditions or developmental cues.

RemoveHighestLeaf

This method removes the youngest or topmost leaf cohort from the plant, simulating natural leaf senescence or damage.

Reset

This method resets all leaf counters and states, typically called during reinitialisation or sowing to prepare for a new simulation cycle.