Simulation of growth and development of B73 maize inbredline using DSSAT-CSM-CERES-Maize model

A successful hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) seed production program depends on conformity and synchrony of growth and developmental stages of the parental inbred lines with environmental conditions. Crop simulation models plays a key role in managing such synchrony by providing the simulation of the growth stages occurrence time. To evaluate the power of the DSSAT-CSM-CERES-Maize model to simulate the growth and developmental stages of B73 maize inbred line, an experiment was performed as split plot in randomized complete block design with four replications in Karaj, Iran, in 2013. The experimental factors were including planting date and plant densities in five and four levels, respectively. Time to reach any of the developmental stages of B73 maize inbred line including emergence (VE), tassel initiation (TI), silk appearance as the crop flowering (R1), completion of fertilization or beginning of the seed filling (R2) and physiological maturity (R6) were recorded. Then, the genetic coefficients used in the model including P1, P2, P5 and PHINT were determined based on generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation using GLUE software. These genetic coefficients were 307, 0.33, 970 and 70, respectively. The normalized root of error mean square (nRMSE) values for the recorded five growth stages were calculated as 7.857, 14.0, 7.141, 3,607 2.687, respectively, which show the model can simulate the growth stages of B73 maize inbred line using the new specific genetic coefficients. Overall, the results of current research showed that the CERES-Maize model which already developed to simulate the growth and development of maize hybrid cultivars can be efficient and accurate to simulate the production of maize hybrid seed only if the specific genetic coefficient of each parental inbred line is used.