29 March 2018 – APSIM 7.10 Release Notes
29th March 2018
New MAIZE model
The APSIM Maize model has been rewritten and enhanced. The N routines are similar to those used in the Sorghum model with N content per unit leaf area as a key driver of N demand. Biomass production and partitioning as well as yield components are modelled similarly to those in the Sorghum model. Canopy dynamics are modelled using a simplified bell shaped curve to describe leaf size per node.
A paper has been published describing the N dynamics model and can be found here
The model has been tested and validated nationally and internationally.
Please note that rather than values for each stage, a single value is given for the Radiation Use Efficiency factor and for the Transpiration Efficiency Coefficient.
Ausfarm STOCK model now included in APSIM
The AusFarm stock model can now run in APSIM in it’s standard form as distributed with AusFarm. This means that the previous work that was called the StockScienceConverter is no longer needed. AusFarm Pasture and Supplement are also functioning this way now. This means that when they are in a simulation they have a detailed data entry user interface for setting the initialisation values.
Stock communicates with Plant and SurfaceOM using a new specification.
There is an example simulation called Wether pasture crop rotation. It contains a typical fattening enterprise running wethers on pasture with winter crop and stubble feeding.
Compatibility with the previous StockScienceConverter:
To continue using simulations that were developed with the StockScienceConverter you will need to add an extra component to your simulation. This is the Plugins component found in the Standard Toolbox | Structural folder. Drop this component in the top level of the simulation and ensure that the plugin; %apsim%\UserInterface\Ausfarm.xml is enabled. Within this component, disable or remove the other AusFarm plugins; AFGeneric, AFManager, AFPasture, AFStock, and AFSupplement. You may need to then save and reopen your simulation.
APSIM’s compute cluster decommissioned
The shared computing resources of the APSIM JV have been decommissioned, replaced by each hosting organisations own capabilities. The “Run on Cluster” button in the GUI has changed to “Generate Simulation” – which will generate simulation packages that can run on a variety of clusters. The CSIRO uses a modification of the condor .submit file. UQ uses the PBSPro batch execution environment, which uses a modiufication of the .pbs file.
Container architectures
Rather than compiling apsim for the native OS of each cluster, APSIM’s build tree has scripts to build in both Singularity and Docker. Running apsim in a container architecture avoids the need to compile apsim and its support libraries for each underlying OS. Mounting the container over NFS is more efficient than copying and unpacking the installation. Apsim execution times are the same whether compiled native or containered. Versioning is simple – one version per container.