Evaluation and performance of the APSIM crop growth model for German winter wheat, maize and fieldpea varieties within monocropping and intercropping systems
- Publikations-Art
- Zeitschriftenbeitrag
- Autoren
- Knörzer, H., Lawes, R., Robertson, M., Graeff-Hönninger, S. and Claupein, W.
- Erscheinungsjahr
- 2011
- Veröffentlicht in
- Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Competition for solar radiation between plants grown in multi-species cropping systems can severely limit crop production of individual species within that system. There are various approaches for modeling light interception within mixed-cropping and row or strip intercropping systems. To extend the knowledge about model behavior and different model approaches under interspecific competition conditions, the APSIM model was evaluated and calibrated for field experiments previously described and simulated by DSSAT. Initially the APSIM plant model was successfully modified to simulate wheat, maize and fieldpea monocultures in the European agro-ecological zone. Once calibrated, the APSIM model was then used to simulate a strip relay intercropping maize/wheat and maize/fieldpea system. In DSSAT, a shading algorithm was introduced to modify the daily weather input in order to take competition for solar radiation into account. In contrast, APSIM simulates interspecific competition using a modified Beer’s law for multi-component canopy conditions. After a re-evaluation of the model regarding a minimum change of crop coefficients and variables, APSIM was able to simulate dry matter and grain yield of German maize, wheat and fieldpea varieties adequately. However, APSIM is a point-based model, and many of the processes that influence strip cropping cannot be accommodated by adjusting Beer’s Law alone. So far none of the tested frameworks successfully modeled strip or relay intercropping. The processes governing growth in the numerous and very diversifying intercropping systems are complex and at this point in time have not been captured in sufficient detail.