ABSTRACT

Site-specific crop management is delivering ever increasing amounts of information about yield variability to producers. Crop models represent one method for explaining causes of variability and helping producers better manage their fields to accommodate it. Crop models should be tested for their ability to handle the extra stringency that site-specific applications place on them. This work examines the sensitivity of the GOSSYM crop model to soil texture, seasonal water application level, and beginning soil moisture. Variation in yields between soil textures varied with yearly weather, water application level, and beginning soil moisture. The effects of beginning soil moisture were most pronounced at lower seasonal water application levels.