Complex Terms: Definitions
Tops weight at maturity (kg [dm]/ha): This is the above-ground biomass (except roots) in dry weight. This weight is expressed in kilograms of dry matter per hectare (kg [dm]/ha). Monitoring this metric helps farmers assess their crops' growth and health, providing insights into biomass production and potential yield. 
Yield at harvest maturity (kg [dm]/ha): Refers to the total weight of a crop harvested per hectare, expressed in kilograms of dry matter. Dry matter represents the portion of the crop that remains after all water content has been removed, providing a consistent basis for comparing yields across different conditions.
Harvested yield (kg [dm]/ha): Refers to the total weight of a crop harvested per hectare, expressed in kilograms of dry matter (dm). Dry matter represents the portion of the crop that remains after all water content has been removed, providing a consistent basis for comparing yields across different conditions.
Harvest index at maturity: This is the ratio between the harvest's dry weight and the crop biomass's total dry weight (including the harvest). In other words, the proportion of the above-ground biomass (in the case of cereals) that is found in the grain, i.e., a harvest index of 33 percent, results in a ratio of 2 kg straw:1 kg grain (FAO, 2022)
Irrigation applications (no): Refers to the total number of irrigation events applied to a crop during its growing season. It includes all instances where water is supplied to the crop, whether through manual scheduling based on field records or automated systems that trigger irrigation based on specific criteria such as soil moisture levels or evapotranspiration rates. Accurately tracking the number of irrigation applications is essential for evaluating water management practices and their impact on crop performance.
Season applied irrigation (includes losses) (mm): Refers to the total volume of water used in a crop field through irrigation over an entire growing season, measured in millimeters. This measurement encompasses all irrigation events and accounts for water losses during application, such as evaporation, runoff, or deep percolation. By including these losses, this metric provides a comprehensive understanding of water usage in irrigation practices, which is crucial for evaluating irrigation efficiency and planning effective water management strategies.
Total season precipitation (mm), simulation - harvest: Refers to the cumulative amount of rainfall, measured in millimeters, that a crop receives from the start of the simulation period until the harvest date. This metric is crucial for understanding the water availability during the crop's growth cycle, significantly influencing crop development and yield outcomes.
Total season evapotranspiration, simulation-harvest (mm): Refers to the cumulative amount of water, measured in millimeters, that is transferred from the soil and crop surfaces to the atmosphere through the combined processes of evaporation and transpiration during the entire growing season from the start of the simulation until harvest. This metric is crucial for understanding the crop's water usage, effective irrigation planning, and water resource management.
Season surface runoff (mm): Refers to the total amount of water, measured in millimeters, that flows over the soil surface and exits the field during a crop's growing season. This runoff occurs when rainfall or irrigation exceeds the soil's infiltration capacity, leading to excess water moving across the land. Accurately quantifying surface runoff is essential for effective water management, as it influences soil erosion, nutrient loss, and the overall water balance within the agricultural system. 
Season water drainage (mm): Refers to the total amount of water, measured in millimeters, that moves downward through the soil profile beyond the root zone during a crop's growing season. This drainage occurs when rainfall or irrigation exceeds the soil's water-holding capacity, leading to percolation of excess water and even waterlogging. Accurately quantifying seasonal water drainage is essential for understanding water availability to crops, assessing potential nutrient leaching, and managing groundwater recharge.
Extractable water at maturity (mm): Refers to the amount of soil water available for plant uptake at the time of crop maturity, measured in millimeters. This metric indicates the remaining usable water in the soil profile when the crop reaches its final growth stage. Understanding this value is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of irrigation practices and soil water management throughout the growing season.
N applications (no): Refers to the total number of nitrogen fertilizer applications made to a crop during its growing season. This count includes all instances where nitrogen is supplied to the crop, regardless of the method or form of application. Accurately tracking the number of nitrogen applications is essential for evaluating nutrient management practices and their impact on crop performance.
Inorganic N applied (kg [N]/ha): Refers to the total amount of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer applied to a crop field during a growing season, measured in kilograms of nitrogen per hectare. Inorganic nitrogen fertilizers include compounds such as urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate, which provide readily available nitrogen to plants. Accurate accounting of inorganic nitrogen application is crucial for assessing nutrient management practices, optimizing crop yields, and minimizing environmental impacts.
N fixed during season (kg/ha): Refers to the amount of atmospheric nitrogen that leguminous crops, such as soybeans or alfalfa, convert into a usable form through biological nitrogen fixation during a single growing season. This process allows these crops to meet a significant portion of their nitrogen requirements without relying solely on soil nitrogen or external fertilizers. Accurately quantifying the nitrogen fixed during the season is essential for effective nutrient management and understanding the crop's contribution to soil fertility. Farmers often can ask how much nitrogen (N) was fixed if they cultivate soybean/alfalfa so they can cut down that amount during the next planting season.
N uptake during season (kg [N]/ha): Refers to the total amount of nitrogen absorbed by a crop from the soil throughout its growing season, measured in kilograms of nitrogen per hectare. This metric encompasses all nitrogen sources available to the plant, including soil reserves, applied fertilizers, and atmospheric deposition. Quantifying nitrogen uptake is essential for evaluating crop nutrition, optimizing fertilizer applications, and enhancing overall nitrogen use efficiency.
N leached during season (kg [N]/ha): Refers to the total amount of nitrogen, measured in kilograms per hectare, that moves beyond the root zone into deeper soil layers or groundwater during a crop's growing season. This leaching typically occurs when rainfall or irrigation exceeds the soil's water-holding capacity, causing soluble nitrogen compounds, such as nitrates, to be carried downward. Excessive nitrogen leaching can reduce soil fertility and environmental concerns, such as groundwater contamination. Accurately quantifying nitrogen leaching is essential for effective nutrient management and environmental protection. For example, if a farmer is concerned about the environment, they might ask how much was lost due to leaching during the season. 
Inorganic N at maturity (kg [N]/ha): Refers to the amount of inorganic nitrogen present in the soil, measured in kilograms per hectare, when the crop reaches full maturity. Inorganic nitrogen includes forms such as nitrate and ammonium. Monitoring this parameter is crucial for understanding soil fertility status at the end of the growing season, assessing the efficiency of nitrogen utilization by the crop, and planning future fertilization strategies to optimize yield and minimize environmental impact. For example, if a farmer needs to understand next season's N application, this information will be helpful to him.
N2OEM: N2OEM refers to the amount of nitrogen oxide gas emissions during the season. This gas is responsible for global warming. For example, if a farmer is concerned about the environment, they might ask how much was lost due to N2O gas emissions during the season. 
Number of P applications (no): Refers to the total count of phosphorus fertilizer applications made to a crop during its growing season. Phosphorus is a primary nutrient supporting root development and plant energy transfer. Accurately tracking the number of phosphorus applications is essential for evaluating nutrient management practices and their impact on crop performance.
Inorganic P applied (kg/ha): Refers to the total amount of inorganic phosphorus fertilizer applied to a crop field during a growing season, measured in kilograms of phosphorus per hectare. Inorganic phosphorus fertilizers, such as superphosphate or diammonium phosphate, provide readily available phosphorus to plants. Accurately recording the amount of inorganic phosphorus applied is crucial for assessing nutrient management practices.
Seasonal cumulative P uptake (kg[P]/ha): Refers to the total amount of phosphorus absorbed by a crop from the soil over the entire growing season, measured in kilograms of phosphorus per hectare. Phosphorus is essential for evaluating nutrient management practices and their impact on crop performance.
Soil P at maturity (kg/ha): Refers to the amount of phosphorus remaining in the soil, measured in kilograms per hectare, when the crop reaches full maturity. This measurement includes both inorganic and organic phosphorus forms available for plant uptake. Monitoring soil phosphorus levels at maturity is crucial for assessing nutrient availability, evaluating the effectiveness of fertilization practices, and planning future soil fertility management strategies to sustain crop productivity.  This information will be valuable if a farmer needs to understand next season's P application.
Number of K applications (no): Refers to the total count of potassium fertilizer applications made to a crop during its growing season. Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in various plant physiological processes, including water regulation, enzyme activation, and photosynthesis. Accurately tracking the number of potassium applications is crucial for evaluating nutrient management practices and their impact on crop performance.
Inorganic K applied (kg/ha): Refers to the total amount of inorganic potassium fertilizer applied to a crop field during a growing season, measured in kilograms of potassium per hectare. Inorganic potassium fertilizers, such as potassium chloride (Muriate of Potash) or potassium sulfate, provide readily available potassium to plants, essential for various physiological functions, including enzyme activation, photosynthesis, and water regulation. Accurately recording the amount of inorganic potassium applied is crucial for assessing nutrient management practices, optimizing crop yields, and minimizing environmental impacts. 
Seasonal cumulative K uptake (kg[K]/ha): Refers to the total amount of potassium absorbed by a crop from the soil over the entire growing or cropping season, measured in kilograms of potassium per hectare. Potassium is essential in various plant physiological processes, including enzyme activation, photosynthesis, and water regulation. Monitoring cumulative potassium uptake is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of fertilization strategies, understanding nutrient dynamics within the soil-plant system, and optimizing crop management practices to enhance yield and sustainability.
Soil K at maturity (kg/ha): Refers to the amount of potassium remaining in the soil, measured in kilograms per hectare, when the crop reaches full maturity. This measurement includes both inorganic and organic potassium forms available for plant uptake. Monitoring soil potassium levels at maturity is crucial for assessing nutrient availability, evaluating the effectiveness of fertilization practices, and planning future soil fertility management strategies to sustain crop productivity. For example, a farmer may be interested if they need some understanding of next season's potassium (K) applications.
Residue applied (kg/ha): Crop residue is all the remaining crop parts after you remove the yield (seeds/grains) from the field. It is measured in kilograms per hectare. It is essential for maintaining soil organic matter, enhancing soil fertility, and improving soil structure. Accurately recording the quantity of residue applied is crucial for modeling nutrient cycling, soil moisture retention, and overall crop productivity.
CO2EM: This is the amount of carbon dioxide gas released into the atmosphere from various sources within the agricultural system. Monitoring CO2EM is crucial for measuring ecological footprint, understanding the carbon balance in cropping systems, and assessing the environmental impact of farming practices. For example, if a farmer is very concerned about ecological footprint, etc., he might want to ask how much CO2 is emitted during the season.
Dry matter-irrigation productivity (kg[DM]/ha/mm[irrig]): This is a metric that quantifies the efficiency of irrigation water use in crop production. It represents the dry matter (DM) yield produced per hectare for each millimeter of irrigation water applied. This measure is crucial for evaluating how effectively irrigation contributes to crop biomass accumulation and optimizing water management practices to enhance agricultural productivity. For example, if the crop is grown for biomass, the farmer can ask what dry matter irrigation productivity is.
Yield-ET productivity (kg[yield]/ha/mm[ET]): This is a metric that quantifies the efficiency with which a crop converts water lost through evapotranspiration (ET) into harvested yield. It represents the crop yield produced per hectare for each millimeter of water transpired and evaporated during the growing season. Furthermore, this is generally known as crop water productivity, so farmers want to ask what crop water productivity is.
Yield-irrigation productivity (kg[yield]/ha/mm[irrig]): It measures the efficiency with which applied irrigation water contributes to crop yield. It indicates the amount or yield of the crop in kilogram produced per hectare for each millimeter of irrigation water supplied during the growing season. It can help determine how effectively irrigation water is converted into crop yield. Furthermore, it helps provide insights into how much yield can be produced per unit of applied irrigation.
Dry matter-N fertilizer productivity (kg[DM]/kg[N fert]): This is a metric that quantifies the efficiency with which a crop converts applied nitrogen fertilizer into dry matter. It represents the dry matter produced per kilogram of nitrogen fertilizer applied. Furthermore, it helps provide insights into how much biomass can be made per unit of applied Nitrogen (N) fertilizer. For example, if a farmer is interested in producing biomass, he might ask how much biomass I could produce per unit N fertilizer application.
Yield-N fertilizer productivity (kg[yield]/kg[N fert]): It measures how effectively a crop converts applied nitrogen (N) fertilizer into harvested yield. It represents the crop yield produced per kilogram of nitrogen fertilizer applied (in kilogram).
Number of days from planting to harvest (d): Refers to the total duration, measured in days, between the planting date and the harvest date of a crop. This period encompasses the entire growth cycle, including germination, vegetative growth, flowering, and maturation. Accurately determining this duration is crucial for effective crop management, as it influences the scheduling of field operations, resource allocation, and overall yield optimization.
Total season precipitation (mm), planting to harvest: Refers to the cumulative amount of rainfall, measured in millimeters, that a crop field receives from the planting date until the harvest date. This metric is crucial for understanding water availability during the crop's growth cycle, significantly influencing crop development and yield outcomes. Furthermore, it helps provide insights into understanding and preparing for drought conditions. For example, if a farmer needs to understand drought conditions, he might want to know the total seasonal precipitation.
Total evapotranspiration, planting to harvest (mm): Refers to the cumulative amount of water, measured in millimeters, that is transferred from the soil and crop surfaces to the atmosphere through the combined processes of evaporation and transpiration during the entire growing season, from planting to harvest. This metric is crucial for understanding the crop's water usage, effective irrigation planning, and water resource management. For example, if a farmer needs to understand drought conditions, he might want to know the total seasonal ET.
Anthesis date: Refers to the specific day a crop reaches its flowering stage. Accurately recording the anthesis date is essential for understanding the crop's development timeline, scheduling management practices, and predicting harvest dates.
Physiological maturity date: This is the crop maturity date. It refers to when a crop fully develops and its seeds or fruits have accumulated maximum dry weight. At this stage, the crop no longer depends on the plant for nutrients, and harvesting can commence without affecting yield or quality. Determining the physiological maturity date is crucial for optimal harvest timing, ensuring maximum yield and quality.
Harvest date: This refers to the specific day when a crop is collected from the field after reaching its desired maturity. This date is crucial for accurately modeling crop growth cycles, assessing yield outcomes, and evaluating the effectiveness of agricultural practices. Properly recording the harvest date ensures that the simulation reflects real-world conditions, aiding in the development of optimized farming strategies.
