Dynamic Simulation through Aqua Crop of Maize Growth under Different Management Decisions of Water Application and Nitrogen Fertilizer Use

The performance of crop growth simulation model, Aqua Crop was evaluated to predict grain yield, biomass and canopy cover in maize growth under different management conditions of depth of irrigation (I) and nitrogen (N) application. A field experiment was conducted with three levels of N comprise of: 0, 150 and 300 kg N ha-1 (N1, N2 and N3) along with four depths of irrigation, corresponding with 60, 80, 100 and 120 percent of soil water depletion (I1, I2, I3 and I4), in the framework of a randomized complete block design of three replications during 2002-2004. AquaCrop model was calibrated and then validated as based upon field data collected respectively from the first and second year of the experiment. Based upon the results obtained the AquaCrop model simulated the maize’s grain yield with a high precision under different levels of nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation depths. In total, the AquaCrop model exhibited a high precision in simulation with respect to maize growth. However, the model indicated low precision in the I1 irrigation level treatment for biomass prediction and N1 nitrogen level as regards canopy cover prediction. The average normalized Root Mean Square Error of grain yield prediction for the calibration and validation cases were calculated as 7.89 and 4.86 percent, respectively. For biomass growth in a special nitrogen fertilizer level, increasing water stress causes an increase in the biomass prediction error as reflected by the model. Biomass (in all treatments) was predicted as over-estimated with the average normalized Root Mean Square Error for calibration and validation being obtained as 18.7 and 20.9 percent, respectively. AquaCrop model predicted canopy cover growth of maize under N2 nitrogen level with a high precision; but within the N1 and N3 nitrogen levels they were under and over-estimated, respectively. The average Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of percent canopy cover for all the treatments in calibration and validation were obtained as 11.7 and 7.33 percent, respectively.