MODELS OF SORGHUM AND PEARL-MILLET TO PREDICT FORAGE DRY-MATTER PRODUCTION IN SEMIARID MEXICO .1. SIMULATION-MODELS

Dynamic and deterministic models of sorghum (SorModel) and pearl millet (PmModel) were based on plant and soil waterflow relationships. The plant submodels comprised the growth and development processes, and were developed from the Simple and Universal Crop Growth Simulation Model (SUCROS). The soil water flow submodel comprised the precipitation, infiltration, drainage and evapotranspiration processes for four soil textures. The simulated forage production of sorghum and pearl millet was compared with production in field experiments carried out in semi-avid Mexico. The results showed reasonable agreement in simulating total forage dry matter production of both crops and it was concluded that the models may be used, within reasonable limits, to simulate the production of these crops in dry land agriculture.