Testing of a Danish growth model for barley, turnip rape and timothy in Finnish conditions

Authors

• Ari Ilola Department of Crop Science, Agricultural Research Centre SF-31600 Jokioinen, Finland
• Esko Elomaa Technical Department, Finnish Meteorological Institute P.O. Box 503 SF-00101 Helsinki, Finland
• Seppo Pulli Department of Plant Breeding, Agricultural Research Centre SF-31600 Jokioinen, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72334

Abstract

The biological and meteorological data were collected at Jokioinen in 1982—87. Potential and actual (water limited) production of dry matter were simulated using a Danish WATCROS model for spring barley, spring turnip rape and timothy grass. The most important data of the biological programme comprised weekly measurements of the crop surface (GAI), dry matter yield, root growth, soil water content and yield analyses of the harvest. All these measurements were performed for both irrigated and non-irrigated plots. The needed meteorological parameters for the daily simulation of the dry matter yield were global radiation, air temperature and precipitation. The simulated dry matter production results with the WATCROS model were generally higher than those measured. In order to obtain a better fit into the Finnish climatic and soil conditions, the Finnish model should take soil water conditions and efficient use of photosynthetically active radiation into consideration.