The performance of the CROPGRO-Drybean model for the prediction of soil water balance, as well as growth components and bean crop yield, was assessed using data from two field experiments conducted at the State University of Maringá Iirrigation Technical Center, Paraná, Brazil, (latitude 23º27'S, longitude 51º57' and altitude 542 m) during the 2005 and 2006 growing seasons. This assessment aimed to analyze growth components, evapotranspiration and bean crop yield for the edaphoclimatic conditions of the area as simulated by the CROPGRO-Drybean model. This is a model for legumes, and it is grouped in a Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transference (DSSAT). The model simulates growth, development and yield components of beans as a function of daily climatologic elements for each soil's specific conditions. It is possible to affirm that water deficit during flowering caused the model to penalize yield severely. It showed discrepant values in leaf area index simulation, and also accentuated discrepancies between measured and simulated values of soil moisture on the day following rainfall. Correlations between measured and simulated values of soil moisture exceeded 70% in both experiments. Yield was underestimated by the model in both experiments.
water stress; soil moisture; agrometeorological models
