C1: Agroecosystem modeling of the trial sites

The application of process-based plant models offers the possibility of transferring small-scale experimental results to larger spatial and temporal scales. While environmental effects in the field often only become visible after decades, a model can quickly estimate the long-term effects of management scenarios on yields, nutrient and water flows on a large scale by precisely reproducing the interactions between plants, soil and atmosphere.

The DSSAT model, which will also be used in TRIO, has already been used to successfully simulate wheat yields under different management and climate scenarios. However, there is a need to develop model routines that can robustly represent management strategies such as mixed crops with their close plant-water-nutrient interactions. Perennial crops are also not taken into account in conventional models. In addition, an improved soil water balance calculation is required for a precise determination of drought stress influences (see SP C2). TRIO provides an optimal basis for a well-founded calibration and validation of optimized and new model extensions through the diverse field studies and practical operations.

WP 1: Optimization of the DSSAT model for mapping the nutrient and water competition of wheat-caraway and wheat-coriander mixed crops

• Prof. Dr. Christoph Gornott
• Dr. David Windhorst
• Prof. Dr. Lutz Breuer

WP 2: Simulations of nutrient, water and yield balances of pure seeds and mixed crops with the DSSAT model

• Prof. Dr. Christoph Gornott