Crop growth responds to water and nutrient availability following a diminishing-returns curve, while overcrowding at high planting density increases competition for light and resources.
growth_rate = f(water) · f(fertilizer) · (1 - crowding_penalty)
yield = Σ plant_health × density_factor
- Water supply — irrigation multiplier; too little stunts growth, too much can waterlog roots.
- Fertilizer level — nutrient availability; boosts growth up to a point, then gives diminishing returns.
- Planting density — grid size of plants in the field; higher density means more plants but more competition.
- Growth speed — simulation time multiplier so you can watch a season pass faster or slower.
Each plant is drawn top-down as a circle that grows larger and greener with good conditions, or stays small and yellow-brown when water/fertilizer/crowding stress it — the final projected yield rewards balanced inputs, not maximum density.