Experimental field data for modeling the growth response of tef to nitrogen fertilizer and water stress

Abstract

Field data from six experiments covering a wide range of growing conditions were organized for tef growth and cropping systems modeling. The data included (i) an irrigation experiment in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, (ii) a cultivar trial at Fallon, NV, USA, (iii) a nitrogen fertilizer experiment in the Jamma District of Ethiopia, (iv) a nitrogen fertilizer experiment in the Ofla District of Ethiopia, (v) a nitrogen fertilizer experiment in the Ada area of Ethiopia, and (vi) a nitrogen fertilizer experiment at Gare Arera, Ethiopia. The combined data set covered 40 experimental treatments and 131 observations. Time series data were limited to biomass data from two treatments from the Tigray region experiment. All other crop related data was measured at maturity. Daily weather data was taken primarily from satellite weather databases for Ethiopia, and from weather stations in the USA. These data have been used in various agronomic studies, as well as the calibration of the DSSAT Tef model. The results of this model calibration are also included in this paper. The objective of this paper was to present and preserve all of the field data used for calibrating the DSSAT Tef model, as well as the tef model’s simulations of the field data.