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Report2019Peer reviewedOpen access

Summary report on mechanisms underpinning beneficial plant associations based on APSIM and DAISY

Weih, Martin; Berghuijs, Herman; Ghaley, Bhim Bahadur; Vinther Hansen, Line; Vico, Giulia

Abstract

This deliverable reports on the work conducted within WP3, based on two existing crop growth models, APSIM and DAISY. The objective of deliverable 3.1 is to identify the key traits and mechanisms underpinning beneficial plant associations, by calibrating, validating and running APSIM and DAISY. For each model, this report presents in detail i) the data used for model calibration and validation, and the rationale for their choice; ii) the calibration and validation process; iii) the results of simulation runs and comparison with field trial data across pedoclimatic conditions; and iv) a discussion of the key aspects driving the performance of each model and the key plant traits defining the output, with particular reference to intercropped systems. In addition, the report also presents an evaluation of resource use efficiencies in support of the modelling work. On the basis of the calibration and validation results, the two models are also contrasted. APSIM and DAISY showed some promising results for the simulation of spring wheat-faba bean and spring barley-field pea systems, towards the identification of the key traits and mechanisms driving the interaction of cereals and legumes in field conditions and across different pedoclimatic regions. Further steps are discussed towards the improvement of the model capabilities, in particular pertaining intercropped systems, also exploiting some additional experimental results relative to plant nutrient use efficiency.

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Publisher: DIVERSify