PARAMETERIZATION OF CROP SIMULATION MODEL “CERES‐MAIZE” IN NITRA‐DOLNÁ MALANTA

Nowadays more than ever production of food depends on reasonable usage of sources. Processes like climate change, climate variability, carbon retention, long‐time food safety are becoming more and more important. Determining of reasonable crop strategy can have a significant social and economic effect. Computer‐simulative models of systems soil/plant/atmosphere can help in processes like crop growth or development. Crop simulation model CERES‐Maize program part of DSSAT v.4 was used to simulate potential maize grain yield. Field trials of Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra ‐ Dolna Malanta were used for parameterization of the model. Model inputs included TMIN‐minimal daily temperature, TMAX‐maximal daily temperature, SRAD‐sun radiation and RAIN‐daily sum of precipitation called as ‘minimum data set’ were built into weatherman program shell. These weather data are basic for the model running. Other important input data included the soil data and agrotechnological data. Outputs of the model show that measured and simulated maize grain yields have a very close relationship. Mean relative difference from all these years reached 7,76 %. Simulated grain yields are a little bit higher in all years as compared with field trial yields. This fact can be explained by the influence of a harmful disease and insects. Successful parameterization is a good base for climate change impact studies.