Evaluation of a Process-Based Agro-Ecosystem Model (Agro-IBIS) across the U.S. Corn Belt: Simulations of the Interannual Variability in Maize Yield

A process-based terrestrial ecosystem model, Agro-IBIS, was used to simulate maize yield in a 13-state region of the U.S. Corn Belt from 1958 to 1994 across a 0.5° terrestrial grid. For validation, county-level census [U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)] data of yield were detrended to calculate annual yield residuals. Daily atmospheric inputs from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research...