Evaluation of Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) as yield predictor of Panicum virgatum and Miscanthus x giganteus in several US environments

OJEDA, J.J.; VOLENEC, J.J.; BROUDER, S.M.; CAVIGLIA, O.P.; AGNUSDEI, M.G.

GCB Bioenergy

John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Año: 2017 vol. 9 p. 796 - 816

Simulation models for perennial energy crops such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) andMiscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) can be useful tools to design management strategies forbiomass productivity improvement in US environments. The Agricultural Production SystemsSimulator (APSIM) is a biophysical model with the potential to simulate the growth ofperennial crops. APSIM crop modules do not exist for switchgrass and Miscanthus, however,re-parameterization of existing APSIM modules could be used to simulate the growth of theseperennials. Our aim was to evaluate the ability of APSIM to predict the dry matter (DM) yieldof switchgrass and Miscanthus at several US locations. The Lucerne (for switchgrass) andSugarcane (for Miscanthus) APSIM modules were calibrated using data from four locationsin Indiana. A sensitivity analysis informed the relative impact of changes in plant and soilparameters of APSIM Lucerne and APSIM Sugarcane modules. An independent dataset ofswitchgrass and Miscanthus DM yields from several US environments was used to validatethese re-parameterized APSIM modules. The re-parameterized modules simulated DM yieldsof switchgrass (0.95 for CCC [concordance correlation coefficient] and 0 for SB [bias of thesimulation from the measurement]) and Miscanthus (0.65 and 0 % for CCC and SB,respectively) accurately at most locations with the exception of switchgrass at southern USsites (0.01 for CCC and 2 % for SB). Therefore, the APSIM model is a promising tool forsimulating DM yields for switchgrass and Miscanthus while accounting for environmentalvariability. Given our study was strictly based on APSIM calibrations at Indiana locations,additional research using more extensive calibration data may enhance APSIM robustness.