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VegSyst, a simulation model of daily crop growth, nitrogen uptake and evapotranspiration for pepper crops for use in an on-farm decision support system

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Abstract

The VegSyst simulation model was developed to assist with N and irrigation management of sweet pepper grown in plastic greenhouses in the Mediterranean Basin. The model was developed for use in an on-farm decision support system with the requirement for readily available input data. Dry matter production (DMP), crop N uptake and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) are simulated on a daily basis. DMP is calculated from daily fraction of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), PAR radiation, and radiation-use efficiency. Fraction of intercepted PAR is calculated from relative thermal time. Crop N uptake is calculated as the product of DMP and N content which is described by a power function of DMP. ETc is the product of daily reference evapotranspiration (ETo) using an adapted Penman–Monteith equation, and a daily simulated crop coefficient value. The VegSyst model for soil-grown, greenhouse pepper was calibrated in one crop and validated in three different crops. In the validation, the model accurately simulated crop growth, N uptake and ETc. Relative to measured values, simulated DMP at final harvest was 0.89–1.06, and crop N uptake was 0.97–1.13. Simulated cumulative ETc for complete crops was 0.95–1.05 of measured values.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded with Project AGL2004-07399 granted by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and co-financed by FEDER, and with Project AGL2008-03774/AGR granted by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and co-financed by FEDER. We thank the Experimental Station of the Cajamar Foundation for their excellent and considerable collaboration and assistance during the development of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Agronomía, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edif. Celestino Mutis, 14014, Córdoba, Spain

    C. Giménez

  2. Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Almería, La Cañada, 04120, Almería, Spain

    M. Gallardo, C. Martínez-Gaitán & R. B. Thompson

  3. Biological Systems Engineering Department, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

    C. O. Stöckle

  4. Estación Experimental de la Fundación Cajamar, Paraje Las Palmerillas No. 25, 04710, El Ejido, Almería, Spain

    M. R. Granados

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  1. C. Giménez
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  2. M. Gallardo
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  3. C. Martínez-Gaitán
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  4. C. O. Stöckle
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  5. R. B. Thompson
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  6. M. R. Granados
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Correspondence to R. B. Thompson.

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Communicated by K. Stone.

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Giménez, C., Gallardo, M., Martínez-Gaitán, C. et al. VegSyst, a simulation model of daily crop growth, nitrogen uptake and evapotranspiration for pepper crops for use in an on-farm decision support system. Irrig Sci 31, 465–477 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-011-0312-2

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