Validation

This study investigates the performance of the APSIM and CANEGRO crop models in simulating sugarcane growth and yield under different growing environment and fertilizer application. Field experimental data from the 2023–24 season were employed for model calibration, while validation was conducted using data from the 2024–25 season. During calibration, the CANEGRO model demonstrated limited responsiveness to variations in fertilizer dosage, producing uniform outputs across different nutrient treatments. Model validation results indicate that APSIM outperformed CANEGRO in simulating key agronomic parameters including cane yield, aerial dry biomass, and days to emergence. APSIM achieved a higher coefficient of determination (R² = 0.93), D-index (0.95), and lower RMSE (6.01 t/ha) for cane yield compared to CANEGRO (R² = 0.88, D-index = 0.77, RMSE = 6.29 t/ha).