An appraisal of cereal crop phenology modelling

Abstract

A review of responses of phenological development of cereal crops, primarily corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), to environmental conditions was conducted. Examples of how these studies have been used to model phenological development on the basis of weather data were given.It was concluded that the development rate of most species is a sigmoidal rather than a linear function of temperature. Consequently, phenological models assuming a linear relationship (e.g., degree–days) are inappropriate. Another consequence of the way plants respond to temperature is that the most precise phenological models will require use of temperature data over relatively short periods (e.g., 3 h), rather than just a daily mean temperature. Several suggestions regarding the ways standard climatological station data may be used in such phenological modelling are made.Phenological response to photoperiod was also reviewed, and methods of modelling this response were proposed. Key words: Phenology, temperature, photoperiod, modelling