TITLE:
OILCROP-SUN Model Relevance for Evaluation of Nitrogen Management of Sunflower Hybrids in Sargodha, Punjab
AUTHORS:
Ashfaq Ahmad, Amjed Ali, Tasneem Khaliq, Syed Aftab Wajid, Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Ibrahim, Hafiz Muhammad Rashad Javeed, Gerrit Hoogenboom
KEYWORDS:
Decision Support System for Agro-Technology Transfer; Nitrogen; Achene Yield; Crop Modeling
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.4 No.9,
August
29,
2013
ABSTRACT: The
experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of crop system (DSSAT)
OILCROP-SUN model simulating growth & development and achene
yield of sunflower hybrids in response to nitrogen under irrigated conditions
in semi arid environment, Sargodha, Punjab. The model was evaluated with
observed data collected in trials which were conducted during spring season in
2010 and 2011 in Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Split plot design was used in layout of
experiment with three replications. The hybrids (Hysun-33 & S-278) and N
levels (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg.ha-1)
were allotted in main and sub plots, respectively. The OILCROP-SUN model showed
that the model was able to simulate growth and yield of sunflower with an
average of 10.44 error% between observed and simulated achene yield (AY). The
results of simulation analysis indicated that nitrogen rate of 150 kg.N.ha-1 (N3)
produced the highest yield as compared to other treatments.
Furthermore, the economic analysis through mean Gini Dominance also showed the
dominance of this treatment compared to other treatment combinations. Thus
management strategy consistingof treatment 150 kg.N.ha-1 was the best for
high yield of sunflower hybrids.