Comprehensive evaluation of the DSSAT-CSM-CERES-Wheat for simulating winter rye against multi-environment data in Germany

Crop models are valuable tools for simulating and assessing genotype-by-environment interactions. In most studies, these models are parameterized based on crop data from a few sites and years, which often limits their applicability to a broader geographic context. Therefore, we utilize countrywide multi-environment variety trial data in this study to implement a genotype-specific model parameterization for winter rye (Secale cereale L.) in Germany. We use the Crop and Environment REsource Synthesis (CERES) model originally used for wheat available in the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer (DSSAT) framework and adapt and evaluate it for rye. Calibration and evaluation involved a comprehensive agronomic trial datasets for the rye cultivar Palazzo, encompassing 194 site-years of experiments covering various cereal production regions in Germany. The parameterization followed a structured approach, encompassing phenology, growth, and yield-specific coefficients. The parameterized CSM-CERES-Rye (where CSM is cropping system model) demonstrated reasonable accuracy in simulating critical crop parameters, including aboveground biomass, leaf area index, tiller, grain number, unit seed weight, and grain yield. The model is available for diverse model-based assessments of rye cultivation, including evaluating crop management, analyzing crop rotations, and assessing rye's suitability across varied environments, making it valuable for sustainable agriculture and decision-making.