The use of computer simulation to assess the suitability of RWH technology intervention in Semi-arid Tanzania
Gowing,J.W.;|Young, M.D.B.;|Rwehumbiza, F.B.R / 1999

Experimental research into soil water management, whether on a research station or on farmers’ fields, is necessarily restricted to specific sites over limited time interval. Meaningful extrapolation is problem. With this in mind, the SUA –Newcastle RWH project pursued a twin-track approach in which the experiment effort was linked to the development of a simulation model, which was designed to assess the suitability of RWH technology interventions for any new site. The simulation model is briefly described and typical examples of its use as a tool for agro technology transfer are presented. The interface is user friendly and the model itself is designed to work with readily available site data, long-term simulation at a new site can be easily achieved to permit evaluation of average performance and/or variability and risk. The yield-gap under existing practice can be evaluated alongside predicted performance under improved practice. Examples of the application he model are given for a maize cropping system and for a rain-fed rice cropping system in two different region of Tanzania