Evaluation of CropSyst model for clusterbean under hot arid condition

Abstract

The study on “Evaluation of Cropsyst model for yield and water productivity of clusterbean” was conducted on farmers field during kharif 2012 at village Mainawali in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. The soils of the area are alluvial and calcareous in nature formed under arid and semi arid climate. The soils of site are brown to greyish brown and dark grey in colour, besides being calcareous and slightly alkaline in reaction having 67.7, 11.1 and 21.0 % of sand, clay and silt, respectively in 0-15 cm soil depth with pH 8.09 and low soil organic matter content. The simulate yield of clusterbean were closer to the observed clusterbean yield. Simulations of early clusterbean above ground biomass development matched the field data reasonably well. Final above ground biomass, however, was over estimated by the model. The total water applied in clusterbean was 405.8 mm out of this 326.7 mm consumed in ET. Thus, ET constituted 81% of total water applied and deep drainage constituted 13% and rest 6% stored as residual soil moisture.