Abstract
The study simulated the effects of three fertilization schemes on maize leaf area index and dry matter accumulation using the APSIM model, and also investigated the adaptability of the APSIM model in simulating leaf area index and dry matter accumulation of summer maize in the region. Results indicated that the maize leaf area index was highest during the silking stage and lowest at the 9-leaf stage throughout the growth period. The maize leaf area index of the fertilization treatments was significantly higher than that of the non-fertilization treatment. As fertilization rates increased, the maize leaf area index gradually increased. Maize dry matter accumulation also increased with higher fertilization rates, with the fertilization treatments showing significantly higher accumulation compared to the control (CK). The APSIM model demonstrated high precision in simulating maize leaf area index and dry matter accumulation under different fertilization schemes, with root mean square error (RMSE) for leaf area index ranging from 0.093 to 0.250, coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.956 to 0.992, and efficiency index (Me) ranging from 0.936 to 0.990. The RMSE for maize dry matter accumulation ranged from 0.03 to 0.332, R2 ranged from 0.961 to 0.998, and Me ranged from 0.880 to 0.980. Among the fertilization schemes, N3 exhibited the highest RMSE, R2, and Me values for both maize leaf area index and dry matter accumulation.