Evaluation of the DSSAT-CSM for simulating yield and soil organic C and N of a long-term maize and wheat rotation experiment in the Loess Plateau of Northwestern China. (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Zhuo Ting; Yang, J.Y.; Drury, C.F.; Hoogenboom, G.
• Is Part Of: Agricultural systems. Volume 135(2015)
• Page Start: 90
• Page End: 104
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: DSSAT Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer -- CSM Cropping System Model -- SOC soil organic carbon -- SON soil organic nitrogen -- NO3-N nitrate nitrogen; DSSAT-CSM -- Sequence analysis -- Maize wheat rotation -- Grain yield -- Soil organic C and N -- Sensitivity analysis; Agricultural systems -- Periodicals; Agriculture -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; 338.16
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2014.12.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-521X

Abstract

Highlights: Long-term simulation of maize, wheat yields and soil C and N using DSSAT model. The DSSAT simulated data showed an overall good agreement with measured datasets. The yields showed different sensitivity to fertilizer N in various rainfall years. Sensitivity of yields to generated weather data was affected by fertilizer N. The model successfully simulated soil NO3 -N accumulation and leaching trends. Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer – Cropping System Model (DSSAT-CSM) using the CENTURY-based soil module to simulate long-term trends of grain yield, soil organic C (SOC) and soil organic N (SON) based upon 14-year data from a spring maize ( Zea mays L.) and winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system study conducted in the Loess Plateau of Northwestern China. There were four treatments including no fertilizer (N0), 90 kg N ha −1 from urea (N90), 30 kg N ha −1 from straw plus 90 kg N ha −1 from urea (SN90), and 40 kg N ha −1 from cattle manure plus 90 kg N ha −1 from urea (MN90) selected in this study. The DSSAT-CSM showed a good to excellent agreement for simulating maize yields with normalized root mean square error ( nRMSE ) ≤ 19%, index of agreement ( d ) > 0.91 and modeling efficiency ( EF ) ≥ 0.56, and a moderate to good agreement for wheat yields with nRMSE ≤ 22%, d > 0.89 and EF > 0.46 for N90, SN90 and MN90 treatments. The model simulated SOC in the 0–20 cm depth for both SN90 and MN90 very well with nRMSE < 13% and d > 0.63 and moderately for N90 and N0. The simulated topsoil SON matched the measured data for N90, SN90 and MN90 very well with nRMSE < 7%, d > 0.77 and EF > 0.15, whereas the simulation for N0 was poor. Both maize wheat yields were found to be more sensitive to the fertilizer N rates in humid than drought soil conditions. The sensitivity of grain yields for either maize or wheat to generated growing season precipitation was affected by fertilizer N rate. The simulated soil nitrate-N (NO3 -N) in soil profile and the NO3 -N leaching below 150 cm increased with the increased fertilizer N rates as expected. The periods occurring high NO3 -N leaching were along with drainage events mainly in the next fallow periods. Therefore, this study found that the DSSAT-CSM has a large potential to assess the impacts of various agricultural practices on crop growth, soil C and N dynamics in the semi-arid to semi-humid region of the Loess Plateau, and could contribute to selecting the optimum management practices.