Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) SUBSTOR Potato model (v4.5) was calibrated using Desiree variety. DSSAT SUBSTOR Potato model simulates on a daily basis the development and growth of potatoes using inputs such as climate, soil and crop management. The experiment was conducted in Banisogosogo, Fiji Islands, during the potato growing season of 2012. Fresh and dry weights of belowground plant component (tubers) were taken during progressive harvests. The DSSAT SUBSTOR Potato model was calibrated using experimental field data, soil and weather data of the growing season. The manual calibration steps involved recalculation of soil water content and the adjustments of genetic co-efficient to suit the temperature and daylength regime similar to the experimental conditions. Tuber dry weight was used as the main parameter to evaluate the model. The R2 values of the observed and simulated model outputs before calibration for replicate plot 1, replicate plot 2 and replicate plot 3 were 0.52, 0.49 and 0.61 respectively. After calibration, the R2 values for tuber dry yield for replicate plot 1, replicate plot 2 and replicate plot 3 were 0.88, 0.66 and 0.92 respectively indicating a strong positive relationship between the simulated and the observed yield.
Photosynthetic rate and biochemical composition total chlorophyll (TC), total soluble protein (TSP) and total soluble carbohydrates (TSC) were determined for Ulva flexuosa, a green marine algae collected from Nasese, Lami and Laucala Beach areas in Suva, Fiji Islands. Ulva flexuosa from Laucala Beach area had the highest photosynthetic rates, TC and TSP content, while algae from Nasese area had the highest amount of TSC. Algae from Lami area had the lowest amount of photosynthesis rate, TC, TSP and TSC. High photosynthetic rate and biochemical content were mainly due to the presence of high levels of nitrogen in the area. Algae thrived in Laucala Beach and Nasese area where nitrogen content was high. Low photosynthetic rate and biochemical composition were recorded in algae from the Lami area, which was apparently the most polluted area. It appeared that conditions in Lami area were intolerable to U. flexuosa. Algae collected from the three sites differed in the measured parameters with respect to the differences in the pH, temperature and nitrogen levels indicating that physiological responses of algae could be used as indicators to monitor the environmental quality of the intertidal zones.
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