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PhenologyMMS 1.3
 

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PhenologyMMS 1.3 is a software program designed to simulate the phenological development of certain crops. Phenology is the sequence or timing of developmental stages or events and is essential to understanding crop development and growth. Many users and farmers in particular need this information as many management decisions are based on the growth stage of the crop. This helps to enhance economic crop yields and at the same time maintain environmental quality. For example, as water for agriculture becomes increasingly more limited it will be critical to know the developmental stage the crop is at so the grower knows when the best times are to apply water. Simulation models and decision support tools also benefit by having crop simulation models which predict the timing of growth stages.

Plant development is orderly and predictable, (Rickman and Klepper, 1995; McMaster, 2005) and the plant’s genetics determines the sequence of the growth stage events (Distelfeld et al., 2009; Moragues and McMaster, 2012). Environmental conditions also influence the plant’s development rate and includes such things as temperature, water availability, nutrients, photoperiod , etc. (White et al., 2008). Temperature has been used most frequently to predict the timing of developmental events and often uses some measurement of thermal time. Another very important influence on crop development is water availability, however many models do not include this impact on development. “Confounding the problem of variable phenological responses to water deficits is that for most crops the complete developmental sequence of the shoot apex has not been completely summarized and quantified or correlated with readily observable developmental stages.”(McMaster et al., 2013).

PhenologyMMS 1.3 employs temperature as thermal time and water stress to predict the development of the crop and the timing of phenological growth stages.


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OMB 0518 - 0032 (01/2025)
 
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