Enter the Tomatrix: Model-Driven Ideotype Design for Dwarf Tomato in Vertical Farming

Abstract

Artificial lighting accounts for most of the energy consumption in vertical farms, emphasizing the need for crops that use light efficiently. We aimed to develop and assess dwarf tomato ideotypes with architecture optimized for light absorption and carbon assimilation in vertical farming. A dynamic functional–structural plant model simulated canopy light absorption and carbon assimilation at planting densities of 35, 50, 65, and 80 plants m-2. We applied Morris sensitivity analysis to screen for influential traits, then Bayesian optimization to identify optimal trait combinations. Leaf angle, leaf curvature, and leaflet angle were the dominant architectural traits influencing canopy absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and carbon assimilation across all planting densities. In simulations, optimized ideotypes converged towards more erect leaves with moderate curvature, improving vertical light distribution, reducing photosynthetic saturation in upper leaves, and increasing light availability deeper in the canopy. Fruits affected the canopy light balance: by the end of the simulation at 80 plants m-2, they absorbed 16% (carbon assimilation ideotype) and 23% (reference architecture) of total absorbed PAR, making fruit shading a constraint on canopy carbon gain. Simulations showed that ideotypes optimized for carbon assimilation could achieve density-dependent yield improvements, with simulated fruit dry mass increasing by up to 12% at 80 plantsm-2, compared to 2% at 35 plantsm-2. The simulations suggest that coordinated adjustments in leaf orientation traits can increase yield in dense canopies, and that ideotypes should be designed and reported for specific planting densities. This two-step workflow provides a reproducible route for ideotype design and breeding for resource-use efficiency in controlled-environment agriculture.