Simulation of Biomass and Nitrogen Dynamics in Perennial Organs and Shoots of Miscanthus × Giganteus Using the STICS Model.

Biomass production by perennial plants promises to increase land use efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cropping systems dedicated to bioenergy production. The modelling of both biomass production and the environmental impacts of these systems over the long term is needed in order to evaluate their sustainability. New equations have been added to the STICS soil-crop-atmosphere model to provide a better description of perennial organs and their relationship with non-perennial ones, corresponding to the rhizomes and shoots, respectively in the Miscanthus × giganteus case study. Their description is intended to be generic for perennial plants, supported by the functional approach of STICS. The new version of STICS 8 was calibrated using published data and then validated against independent data. It was able to simulate the biomass and nitrogen content of the shoots (with a model efficiency of 0.95 and 0.70, respectively) and reproduce the dynamic of biomass and nitrogen in perennial organs (with a model efficiency of 0.41 and 0.63, respectively). Some of the model's improvements are discussed. Modifications to the model allowed simulations of the effect of cultural practices, such as nitrogen fertilisation or harvest date, on the biomass and nitrogen content of rhizomes and shoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]