Lars Lövdahl

Computer models can be good tools to simulate crop growth under various conditions.
A number of models have been developed based on either mainly empirical/statistical or mainly physical relations between crops and environment.
In a three years experiment the mainly physical based model Coupmodel was used to simulate various soil management impacts on wheat yield and water dynamics. After model calibration the model could fairly well simulate measured yields and water dynamics for the different treatments during all three years.
The calibrated model was thereafter used to simulate wheat yield and water dynamics for 45 years (1955-2000) in Heyang region using historical climate data from a meteorological station in Louchuang , Shaanxi. The results showed that different soil managements had a great impact on crop yield and water cycle during some years and less during other years.
By using various climate change scenarios for the simulated region the Coupmodel could be used to predict the impact of changed climate on yield and water balance as well.