Dear Colleagues,

Numerous crop models have been developed and published since the pioneering approaches of Wageningen and US teams in the 1970s–1980s. Very early, potential uses of these models for agronomical applications were emphasized, and some theoretical and practical examples were published as proofs of concept. Among the examples of model-based applications: field diagnosis, yield prediction, tactical decision making, water allocation among crops, policy scenario analysis, ideotype design, cropping systems design, impact assessment of climate change, etc. A range of dynamic models, from process-based to more simple engineering models, were concerned by these applications. Initially developed by agronomists and crop physiologists, these models became popular in other communities, such as with economists, plant breeders or hydrologists; agronomic models were interfaced or coupled with other disciplinary models to widen the domains of application.

However, crop models have been driven more by the integration of new research than by the practical problems and requirements of end-users. They have not been designed specifically for operational purposes. In order to be fully used by advisers and consultants for instance, they should at least: a) better integrate the effects of crop practices; b) more extensively represent the main biotic and abiotic limiting factors of crop production; c) include parameters and input variables easy to calibrate in actual situations; d) be ergonomic for running multi-simulations and rapidly interpreting the outputs; and e) include a realistic estimate of model uncertainty. As crop modelers have invested more in science than in usability, the adoption of models by decision makers in agriculture has not been as successful as initially expected.

This Special Issue offers the opportunity for crop scientists to publish papers, rapidly, on a topic not so frequently reported in the literature: the “practical use of crop models in agronomy”, with a good visibility. Research articles or reviews reporting novel applications of crop models in agronomy are most welcome. Examples of topics are: crop management and cropping systems design, decision support for tactical and strategical decisions, yield and quality prediction at various time and space scales, water management, variety assessment, etc. In addition, papers analyzing the problems addressed by the practical use of crop models, the participation of end-users in model design and application, the nature of information to integrate in models, or the complementarity of models with other methods used in agronomy (experimentation, survey, etc.) are also welcomed.

Ideally, each paper should clearly identify the intended users, specify if the model is already used, and, if not, how it would be used by the intended users.

Dr. Philippe Debaeke
Guest Editor

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• Crop model
• Model application
• Cropping System Design
• Crop Management
• Variety Assessment
• Yield Prediction
• End-users