Development and Validation of a Model to Simulate Phenology, Canopy Growth and Yield of Maize, Mungbean and Tomato under Tropical Farming Systems

A significant portion of crop production in the tropics occurs at subsistence level with high vulnerability to climate change. Process-based simulation models are effective tools predict environmental impacts, including change effects, and make management decisions on production. The principal objective this work was develop crop-specific phenology, canopy growth, yield performance maize, mungbean, tomato crops grown tropics, special relevance locally adapted inbred germplasm. developed consisted sub-models simulate radiation interception conversion, dry matter partitioning. All were parameterized by detailed measurements leaf accumulation, partitioning varieties three over two cropping seasons. same established a multi-locational field experiment spanning sufficiently wide temperature gradient four seasons for model validation. Models validated comparing predictions phenological development against observations additional secondary data from literature. Overall, simulated (R2>0.5, RMSE<5 days all crops) RMSE<68, 48 476 g/m2 tomato, respectively) agreement observed under range conditions. These modelling approaches can be successfully applied open-pollinated (maize) (mungbean tomato) growing farmer fields tropical South Asia.