Modelling and parameterization of the soil-plant-atmosphere system; a comparison of potato growth models

Eight models differing in complexity were compared using a common field data set from a potato growth experiment. The intercomparison was focused on water dynamics and water balance, on potential growth and yield, and on water-limited and nitrogen-limited yields. The book presents performance indicators for a wide variety of soil-water-crop production models, putting the emphasis on parametrization and calibration procedures and on practical predictive capabilities of individual models. Existing gapsin practical modelling approaches are identified. Along with the numerical intercomparisons, state-of-the-art overviews are given of parametrization and modelling of plant physiology, meteorology, soil water dynamics and of the nitrogen dynamics.