A model of growth and sugar accumulation of sugar beet for potential production systems: SUBEMOpo

A model SUBEMOpo, to simulate sugar beet growth and sugar accumulation for potential production conditions has been evaluated. Given initial conditions, the growth, development and sugar accumulation of the model are driven by observed weather (i.e. maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall, wind speed, relative humidity and solar radiation). soil water and nutrients are considered as non limiting in the model. To evaluate the model, results of historical field trials as well as of field trials especially conducted for this evaluation study were used. These data concern growth, yield and sugar content of sugar beets grown on sandy, loess and clay profiles in Belgium and the Netherlands during several growing seasons. The agreement between measurements and simulation results is so far acceptable. The weakest section of SUBEMOpo is the partitioning of dry matter between structural and non structural dry matter or the tap root.