International Journal of Engineering Sciences, 2(9) September 2013, Pages: 450-453

TI Journals
ISSN
2306-6474

International Journal of Engineering Sciences

www.tijournals.com

Evaluation of DSSAT Crop Model for the Prediction of Irrigated

Pearl Millet Yield
M. S. Hussaini 1*, Adamu Halilu 2
1
2

Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal Polytechnic, P.M.B 35, Mubi, Adamawa State.
Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 65 Minna Niger State, Nigeria.

AR TIC LE INF O

AB S TR AC T

Keywords:

The study evaluated the use of the decision support system for agro-technology transfer (DSSAT) model
for the prediction of irrigated pearl millet yield. An experimental field of (27 x 18) m2 was used, divided
into 18 plots of 6 x 3 plot designs. Two varieties of pearl millet used, were local variety gero and an
improve variety SosatC88, planted at different dates at a week interval. The field was irrigated at intervals
of 3, 5 and 7 days respectively for different plots at a inform irrigation depth of (6 mm). Parameter
collected as input to run the crop model were millet phonological data, yield and yield, detailed soil
profile description, soil analysis result and daily record of weather parameters. After simulation, the total
predicted yield for SosatC88 variety was 2052 kg/ha while the total measured yield was 1012.7 kg/ha.
The breakdown according to days of water applications gave predicted yield of 412 kg/ha, 950 kg/ha,
and 690 kg/ha and measured yield of 106 kg/ha, 506.3 kg/ha, 400.4 kg/ha for 3,5 and 7days respectively.
The physiological maturity of the simulated value was 83 days, while the measured was 78 days.
Repeated trials should be carried out on SosatC88 variety for proper adaptation to this ecological zone
and to produce better yield.

Pearl millet
Yield
Predicted
Measured
Maturity

2013 Int. j. eng. sci. All rights reserved for TI Journals.

1.

Introduction

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is the most important dry land food crop of West Africa (Rowland, 1993). In Africa, the crop is
primarily grown in the Sahelian and Sudanian Countries, especially Nigeria and Niger republic, though it has local importance in many
other countries including part of southern Africa.
The main millet producing countries in West Africa in 2000 were Nigeria with (54%), Niger (20%) and Mali (9%). In Niger republic, pearl
millet is the main stable food and is dominant in the agricultural production systems, contributing about 75% of natural production
(Amadou et al., 1999). The crop is annually grown on more than 29m ha in the semi and tropical regions of Asia, Africa and Latin
American. India is the largest producer of this crop, both in terms of area with (9.1m ha) and production of (7.3 metric tones), with an
average productivity of 780kg/ha during the last five years (www.icrisat.org, 2007). Pearl millet in developing country like Nigeria, many
farmers carryout their farming practice without knowing the expected yield, and the water requirement for irrigation. Pearl millet is widely
cultivation, especially on marginal lands where annual rainfall corresponds to 250mm Northern and 1100mm in the Southern part of
Nigerian (Rowland, 1993). Pearl millet is cultivated mainly in Northern part of Nigeria where 30% or more of cultivated land is devoted to
millet cultivation. The areas of extensive millet cultivation are Borno, Bauchi and Sokoto States. Other important areas of millet production
are parts of Kano State, Katsina and Kebbi State.
Pear millet has a lower yield potential than maize under moderate rainfall conditions, among other disadvantages. Millet are drought
tolerant, many verities are able to escape drought through early maturity. The range of time to mature within the crop is 70 - 180 days,
largely dependent on genotype. The short-season day-neutral gero type (70 100 days) is the most popular in West Africa than the
photoperiod- sensitive Dauro type (120 180 days), since it is more likely to produce a yield under stress condition (Rowland, 1993).
The decision support system for agro-technology transfer (DSSAT) crop model is a tool for predicting and improving crop production and
has been in use for close to 20 years by researchers Worldwide.(Jones et al., 2003).The package incorporates model of sixteen different
crop with software that facilities the evaluation and application of the crop models for different purposes. Thus, this study investigates the
growth, development and predicted yield of the crops growing on a uniform area of land under prescribed or simulated irrigation
management as well as the changes in soil water requirement, Carbon and Nitrogen that take place under the cropping system.

* Corresponding author.
Email address: musaspp2013@gmail.com

Evaluation of Dssat Crop Model for the Prediction of Irrigated Pearl Millet Yield

451

Internat ional Jour nal of Engineeri ng Science s, 2(9) Septe mber 2013

2.

Materials and methods

Research Materials
The study was carried out on two cleaned varieties of millets (Local variety known as gero and the improve variety known as SosatC 88,
obtained from the cereal research institute, Zaria. A total of 10 kg of millet were planted at 75x50 cm (Inter and Intra row) spacing on a plot
size of (27 x 18) m2 divided equally into eighteen (18) plots of 27 m2 each. Seeds were sown at the depth of 3-5 cm. The experiment layout
was randomized complete block design with 3 replicates.
Material Preparation
The materials were prepared in the experiment with all cultivation practices in both pre-planting and post-planting operations.
Experimental Procedure
The two varieties of millet were planted at Chanchaga Inland valley in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria (Lat. 090N37 Long 06OE33), which was
located 8km south of Minna Niger State Capital, and the phonological data for the experiment were obtained.
Water Application
The experiment was fully irrigation fed. The source of water was Chanchaga River which was about 70m from the trial plots. Calibrated
water bucket of 20 liters were used, to collect the water and a small bowl of 1 liter was used to apply the water to individual plant stand.
The irrigations intervals were 3, 5 and7 days respectively for a specific plot at uniform depth of 6 mm.
Thinning and Weeding
14 days after sowing (DAS), the plants were thinned to two (2) plants per stand by using hand to pull up. At 21 days (DAS), the first
weeding was done, by the use of hoe, thereafter; the weeding was carried out at two weeks interval until the plant reached the flowering
stage.
Fertilizer Application
When the plant was 25cm tall (Mayhero et al., 1988) corresponding to 22 days after sowing (DAS) fertilizer (NPK 20:15:15) was applied at
5g round each plant stand.
Millet Phonological Data
Phonological data from the time the millet was planted to harvesting were obtained in the following order:- dates of planting., dates of
emergence (>50% on each plot), dates of thinning, plat population after thinning, dates of successive leaf tip appearances, dates of
successive tiller appearances, position of leaf tip and tillers at appearance, number of leaves on main stem overtime until harvest (at two
week intervals), dates of productive stages, dates of grain filling, dates of maturity, dates of harvest, total number of leaves on main stem
and tillers at maturity, dates of leaf senescence, dates of tillers deaths.
Yield and Yield Parameters
The following records of yield Parameters were taken: Days to 50% panicles initiation, Days to 50% flowering (Anthesis), Date of harvest
Plant stand per plot at harvest, Number of tillers per stand at harvest, Number of panicles per plot at harvest Number of leaves on main
stem at harvest, Panicles weight per plot at harvest, Grain weight per plot at harvest.
Weather Parameters
Daily records of weather parameters like solar radiation, maximum and minimum temperature and rainfall amount; were collected from
Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Minna International Airport.
Running of the model
The DSSAT crop model requires minimum data set (MDS) to run and validate the outputs. Validation requirement were:- MDS weather data
comprising of; Latitude and longitude of the weather station, daily values of incoming solar radiation (Mj/m2 /day), maximum and minimum
air temperature (o c) and rainfall (mm)., MDS soil Data comprising of; Soil classification (SCS), surface slope, permeability and drainage
class., Management and Experiment Data comprising of; information on planting date, planting density, row spacing, planting depth, crop
variety, irrigation and fertilizer practices. The minimum Data set (MDS) information was inputted into the DSSAT crop model to give the
predicted yield.

3.

Results

The results obtained are presented in Tables 1 3.

Table 1. The experimental layout for randomized complete block design with three replicates

Replicate 1
V 1 T1
V 1 T2
V 1 T3
V 2 T1
V 2 T2
V 2 T3

Replicate 2
V1 T2
V1 T3
V2 T1
V2 T2
V2 T3
V1 T1

Replicate 3
V1 T3
V2 T1
V2 T2
V2 T3
V1 T1
V1 T2

M. S. Hussaini and Adamu Halilu

452

Int ernational Journal of Engi neering Sciences, 2( 9) Sept e mber 2013

Legend:
V1 = SosatC88, millet variety, V2 = Local millet variety, T1 = Water application interval of 7 days, T2 = Water application interval of 5 days,
T3 = Water application interval of 3 days,
Table 2. Grain Yield (kg/ha) for SosatC88 Pearl Millet

Variable

Simulated Values

Anthesis days (DAP)

Physiological maturity (DAP)
Yield at maturity (kg/ha)
Grain number at maturity
Unit weight of grain at maturity
Top weight at maturity (kg/ha)
Leave area index
Harvest index
Grain nitrogen at maturity (kg/ha)
Top nitrogen at maturity (kg/ha)
Stem nitrogen at maturity (kg/ha)
Top weight at anthesis (kg/ha)
Leave number per stand at maturity

Measured Values

49
82
2052
30850
0.0063
8414
0.386
0.188
14
7
60
0.7
11.8

59
78
1012.7
-99
-99
-99
-99
-99
-99
-99
-99
-99
14.3

Table 3. Summary of the irrigation intervals and Yield at each interval

Irrigation interval

3 days
5 days
7 days

4.

Predicted Yield
(Kg/ha)
412
950
690

Measured Yield
(Kg/ha)

Difference
(Kg/ha)

Relative
Difference (%)

106
506.3
400.4

306
443.7
289.6

74.3
46.7
42.0

Discussion

Table 1 shows the experimental layout for randomized complete block design with three replicates for different water application intervals
under various treatments. From the soil analysis, phonological data and weather parameters from the site and meteorological centre, the
minimum data set (MDS) was input in the DSSAT crop model that gave the outputs Appendix A, and B.
The values predicted and measured of yield (Kg/ha) for the 3,5 and 7 irrigation intervals, of SosatC 88 variety of pearly millet indicates that,
the irrigation interval of 5 days with 950 kg/ha and 506.3 kg/ha for predicted and measured yield respectively, has a higher predicted yield
and a better measured yield respectively, than 3 and 7days irrigation intervals. It indicates that the predicted value of yield was higher than
the measured value by 443.7 kg with a relative percentage difference of 46.7 %.
The 5 days intervals gave a better measured yield of 506 kg/ha while 3 and 7 days had a measured yield of 106 kg/ha and 400.4 kg/ha
respectively. The total measured yield from the 3, 5 and 7 days irrigation gave 1012.7 kg/ha while the total predicted yield was 2052 kg/kg.
Table shows the different of 1039.3 kg/ha corresponding to a relative percentage different of 50.6 %. This indicate that the DSSAT model
over predicted the yield by 50.6 %.
Also in a related study by Anumeri (1998), carried out on the local variety; with the measured yield of 144 kg/ha, 510 kg/ha and 406 kg/ha
for 3,5 and 7 days interval of water application, respectively, against the predicted value of yield of 488 kg/ha, 1025 kg/ha and 835 kg/ha
for 3,5 and 7 days intervals of water application respectively. The total predicted and measured yield were 2348 kg/ha and 1060 kg/ha
respectively, corresponding to a relative percentage different of 54.8%. Fig. 1 shows comparism between the predicted yields for SosatC88
and local variety.
The result of this study suggests that the 5 days intervals of water application, is a better choice since it gave higher yield. This was due to
the fact that 3 days interval of water application increases the soil moisture beyond the water crop requirement of pearl millet. Pearl millet
do not do well in waterlog condition. While in 7 days interval, water stress factor may be responsible for it lower yield when compared to 5
days interval. Though there is water-stress in 7 days interval of water application, the crop still yield more than that of 3 days because millet
are better adapted to drought or drier conditions (Rowland, 1993).

Evaluation of Dssat Crop Model for the Prediction of Irrigated Pearl Millet Yield

453

Internat ional Jour nal of Engineeri ng Science s, 2(9) Septe mber 2013

5.

Conclusion

From the results of this study, the maximum yield predicted for SossatC88 was 2052 kg/ha while the measured value was 1012.7 kg/ha. The
DSSAT model over predicted the yield of pearl millet for the study area by 50.6 %, and the 5 days interval water application gave the best
yield, followed by 7 days and 3 days respectively. The phonological data shows that the physiological maturity of 78 days was within the
growths limit of pearl millet.

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The DSSAT Cropping System Model European Journal of Agronomy 18 (2003):236-258.
Mayhew S. and Penny A. (1988)., Tropical and Sub-tropical Foods. Macmillan Hong Kon. Pp. 16-20.
Mohammed, M. (2006)., Prediction of yield in pearl Millet using DSSAT Model. M. Eng. Thesis Agric Engineering Department Federal University of
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Ritchie, J. T., Singh, u., Godwin, D.C. and Bowen, W.T. (1998), Cereal Growth, Development and yield. Netherlands, Khuwer Academic Publishers.
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