An equation for determining the beta Euler shape exponents of plant growth data – a program toolbox for plant physiologists

Abstract

Abstract Since the almost simultaneous appearance of the acid growth homeostasis approach in plant physiology and the increased availability of mainframe computers in the mid-20th century, there had been an amplified need to quantitatively predict the plant cell critical parameters during growth. Here, we provide a ready-to-use computer program, using an original numerical method, solving a highly nonlinear equation that is based on the formalism published in [J Plant Growth Regul (2020) 39:841–866], which can be used directly for this purpose. In this method article, the standalone program is written in a Python-based open source scientific software environment (e.g., CoCalc) in order to determine these cardinal traits and facilitate its use without any barriers to readers. It can be used to determine growth of an elongating individual plant cell or multicellular organs (coleoptile or hypocotyl segment) at the non-meristematic limit. The low number of relevant parameters (two) and the inclusion of the quantities that are decisive for growth such as pH and temperature make this program a practical set of tools for comparing growth-related experimental data in various areas of plant biology. It can also be widely used to predict plant growth during the process of assisted migration at a time in which the Earth is facing climate change.