Development of a cotton fiber quality simulation module and its incorporation into cotton crop and development model: GOSSYM

Authors: BEEGUM, SAHILA - University Of Nebraska; Reddy, Vangimalla; REDDY, KAMBHAM - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2023
Publication Date: 7/24/2023
Citation: Beegum, S., Reddy, V., Reddy, K.R. 2023. Development of a cotton fiber quality simulation module and its incorporation into cotton crop and development model: GOSSYM. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.108080.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.108080

Interpretive Summary: GOSSYM is an existing model for simulating cotton crop growth and development. One of the limitations of this model is that it cannot simulate fiber quality. It is equally important to have high-quality cotton fiber as it is to have a high quantity. Therefore, in the present study, a cotton fiber quality modeling methodology is developed and incorporated into GOSSYM. The newly improved model's capabilities are presented in this study based on illustrative examples, and a reasonable simulation of fiber quality has been demonstrated by the model. Currently, there are no mechanistic-process-based models that can simulate fiber quality in cotton crops. Therefore, the newly developed model is novel and can be a valuable tool for determining cotton fiber quality, optimizing production/fiber quality, and decision-making under varying environmental and management conditions.

Technical Abstract: GOSSYM is a mechanistic, process-level cotton crop simulation model. It can simulate the growth and development of cotton under different environmental and management conditions and provide information on crop growth and development, various stresses, and yield. The current model version does not have the capability of simulating cotton fiber quality. Cotton fiber quality is as significant as fiber quantity. In this study, a cotton fiber quality simulation module is developed and integrated into GOSSYM. The functional relationships between the fiber quality and the major factors influencing fiber quality (temperature, water, and nutrient status) are established based on the temperature, water, and nutrient-controlled sunlit soil plant atmospheric research (SPAR) chamber experiments. In the developed model, the potential fiber quality in terms of four major fiber quality indices (fiber length, fiber strength, micronaire, and uniformity) is estimated based on the temperature function, and actual fiber quality indices are determined by reducing potential quality as a function of water and nutrient status in the crop. The newly developed model's fiber quality modeling capabilities are demonstrated using illustrative examples from a case study. Illustrated examples analyze the effect of different temperatures, nitrogen fertilizer application rates, irrigation, planting date, and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations on fiber quality indices. Simulation results are discussed by correlating them with underlying processes (growth and development, water, and nitrogen status), literature data, and functional relationships incorporated into the fiber quality module in GOSSYM. The model has demonstrated a reasonable simulation of fiber quality. The developed model can be a valuable tool for accurate cotton fiber quality simulations, lint yield production, fiber quality optimization, and making policy decisions under varying environmental and management conditions.