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Title: Simulating Crop Phenological Responses to Water Deficits

Author
item McMaster, Gregory
item White, Jeffrey
item WEISS, A - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item BAENZIGER, P - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item Wilhelm, Wallace
item PORTER, J - UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN
item JAMIESON, P - NEW ZEALAND CROP & FOOD

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/14/2008
Publication Date: 2/26/2009
Citation: Mcmaster, G.S., White, J.W., Weiss, A., Baenziger, P.S., Wilhelm, W.W., Porter, J.W., Jamieson, P.D. 2009. Simulating Crop Phenological Responses to Water Deficits. In: Ahuja, L.R., Reddy, V.R., Anapalli, S.A., and Yu, Q., editors. Modeling the Response of Crops to Limited Water: Recent Advances in Understanding and Modeling Water Stress Effects on Plant Growth Processes. Vol 1 of series: Advances in Agricultural Systems Modeling. Trans-disciplinary Research, Synthesis, and Applications. Madison, WI, ASA-SSA-CSSA. p.277-300.

Interpretive Summary: Water deficits are common in many crop production systems. Crops can either avoid or tolerate water stress, and many plant responses to water stress are involved. This chapter examines a fundamental plant response to water stress, namely phenological responses. Crop phenology is important both in managing crop production and is fundamental to simulating crop production. Phenological responses to water deficits vary among crops and within crops depending on the growth stage being considered. We briefly review the varying effects of phenological responses to water deficits of different crops, and develop a meta-analysis table for these responses. Also presented is the complete developmental sequence of the sorghum shoot apex correlated with developmental growth stages and how the developmental stages respond to water stress. We then propose different hypotheses that may explain these responses to water deficits as a basis for examining different approaches for simulating these phenological responses to water deficits. We end with strategies for improving our simulation models.

Technical Abstract: Semi-arid crop production systems commonly are characterized by highly variable precipitation, both within and among years. Crop strategies to deal with water deficits are to either avoid or tolerate water stress, and many plant responses to water stress are involved. This chapter examines a fundamental plant response to water stress, namely phenological responses. Crop phenology is important both in managing crop production and is fundamental to simulating crop production. Phenological responses to water deficits vary among crops and within crops depending on the growth stage being considered. We briefly review the varying effects of phenological responses to water deficits of different crops, and develop a meta-analysis table for these responses. Also presented is the complete developmental sequence of the sorghum shoot apex correlated with developmental growth stages and how the developmental stages respond to water stress. We then propose different hypotheses that may explain these responses to water deficits as a basis for examining different approaches for simulating these phenological responses to water deficits. We end with strategies for improving our simulation models.