Monday, November 5, 2007 - 11:45 AM
33-8

Assessment of AquaCrop, CropSyst and WOFOST Models in the Simulation of Sunflower Growth Under Different Water Regimes.

Mladen Todorovic1, Rossella Albrizio1, Pasquale Steduto2, and Ljubomir Zivotic1. (1) CIHEAM – Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano (BA), Italy, (2) Water Resources, Development and Management Service, Land and Water Division, FAO, Room # B-721, Via delle Terme di Caracalla 00100, Rome, Italy

Several crop simulation models have been developed in the past and are currently in use. This work aims at comparing the performance of a new crop simulation model, AquaCrop, developed by the FAO, against that of two well established models, CropSyst and WOFOST, for the simulation of sunflower growth under different water regimes in a Mediterranean environment. The data used in analysis were obtained in a field experiment with hybrid Sanbro_MR, carried out in Valenzano (Southern Italy) in 2005. The analysis includes five irrigation regimes: optimal water supply, application of 100% of water requirements up to flowering and 70% thereafter, application of 70% of water requirements through the whole season, application of 70% of water requirements up to flowering and rainfed conditions thereafter, and rainfed conditions during the whole season. Although AquaCrop required less input information than the other two models, it gave similar results to them. AquaCrop performs mainly through the canopy cover function, partitioning of evapo-transpiration and water use engine, and simulated well the deficit irrigation situations after calibration. By contrast, CropSyst and WOFOST needed substantial re-calibration when deficit irrigation strategies were modelled.

Back to Symposium--Yield Response to Water: Examination of the Role of Crop Models in Predicting Water Use Efficiency
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Back to The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 4-8, 2007)