One of the major specificities of the model is that it can simulate the plasticity of root system growth in response to the planting pattern, pedoclimatic conditions, competition with the crop but also to cultural practices such as root pruning

Tree fine root growth is represented by a voxelar automaton, that is is a contamination by fine roots from one voxel to the other, with more fine roots created were more water can be extracted, taking into account the cost of C for coarse roots that are needed to support these fine roots.

Mulia, R., Dupraz, C., Van Noordwijk, M., 2010.

Tree coarse roots are represented in a spatially explicit way, with two characteristics: the topology of the root system and the diameter of the coarse root.

The other specificity of root representation in Hi-sAFe is that it represents explicitely the carbon cycle: root growth is controlled by the amount of C incorporated by photosynthesis, and the carbon of dead roots is released in the soil.