Schulthess, U. and J.T. Ritchie
Presented at the All Scientist Meeting (1996-07-16 to 1996-07-17 )
Assessment of long-term effects of tillage on soil quality is a key objective of the LTER study. Crop simulation models can be useful tools to assess the impact of long long-term management effects on soil characteristics and crop production. However, existing models have put little emphasis on tillage. Hence, our objective was to enhance the capabilities of the SALUS-model so that it can simulate the various effects of tillage on soil characteristics.An overview of the different modules of the model that deal directly with tillage is shown in (Figure 1). Crucial modules include soil water balance, residues, and soil temperature.We have also included in the model new approaches to root growth and water uptake: non-uniform clumped root systems are accommodated in a new routine and water uptake predictions have been improved. Procedures are also being developed to assess the quality of solar radiation data from the past and future weather data at KBS and other sites. We have demonstrated that two seasons from different KBS weather stations had biases that could be corrected. Accurate solar data are important in process level simulation models because solar radiation has a major impact on photosynthesis and evapotranspiration.
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