The identification of homogeneous management zones within field is crucial for variable rate application of agronomic inputs. This study analyzed a methodology to identify homogeneous areas within a field of 8.09 ha, according to the stability of yield in a 5-year crop rotation – maize (Zea mays, L.), soybean (Glycine max, L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) – on a farm in Rovigo, NE Italy. Crop growth and yield were simulated over a 15-year period (1989-2003) using CERES-Maize, CROPGRO-Soybean and CERES-Wheat. The assessment and overlay of yield spatial and temporal data allowed for the identification of two stable areas with different yield levels, one having greater yield (HS) than the remnant part of the field (LS). The size of HS area identified within field resulted smaller than that obtained by considering only the yield maps monitored during the 5-year crop rotation, while the LS area resulted larger, confirming that the consistency of the temporal stability increases by increasing the years considered. Results showed that a combination of GIS tools and crop growth simulation models can be useful to identify long-term temporal stability of spatial variability within homogeneous areas having different yield variability before adopting variable rate technologies. The models were able to closely predict the yield across the field showing great potential for use in yield map prediction and interpretation in the contest of precision agriculture.
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