Abstract

Crop models are powerful tools to explore agricultural impacts and adaptation to climate change. They are extensively used to predict the effect of climate change on agriculture. In this chapter, the authors review how crop models take into consideration climate variables and how they are used for climate change impact assessment studies, leading to model prediction but also model improvements. The chapter emphasizes that the intensive use of crop models raises challenges that need to be addressed in the coming years. It also highlights, in particular, the need for model improvements to take into account extreme events, and stresses related to low input agricultural systems.

Table of contents

1 Introduction
2 Agroecosystem models: tools to simulate the effect of climate, soils, crop management practices, and crop genetics on cropping systems
3 Use of crop models for climate change impact assessment
4 Conclusion and future trends
5 Where to look for further information
6 References