Simulation of tomato and corn growth using a modified intercropping model considering radiation interception in two-dimensional space and air temperature stress

Intercropping system has been widely applied in the agricultural production worldwide. However, the difference in agricultural productivity in tomato–corn intercropping system with different spatial arrangements has not been determined. Meanwhile, the existing intercropping models cannot precisely capture inter-species crop growth dynamics. Therefore, a 10-year (2010–2019) experimental field study was conducted in Hetao irrigation district, China, for the parameterization and evaluation of the model. The experiment data from the typical years (2018 and 2019) was adopted to analyze the crop growth dynamics in different hydrological years and different systems [two rows of tomato intercropping two rows of corn (IC 2–2 ), four rows of tomato intercropping two rows of corn (IC 4–2 ), sole corn (SC), and sole tomato (ST)]. Moreover, a modified intercropping model considering radiation interception in two-dimensional space and air temperature stress (MICG) was deduced. The results revealed that the MICG model can precisely simulate inter-species crop growth in tomato–corn intercropping system with different spatial arrangements. The mean relative error ( M RE ), normalized root mean square error ( nRMSE ), determination coefficient ( R 2 ), and percentage bias ( PBIAS ) of leaf area index ( LAI ) simulated by the MICG model in different spatial arrangements were 9.0 %, 7.8 %, 0.97, and –5.3 % for corn and 11.0 %, 7.8 %, 0.95, and 0.1 % for tomato, respectively. An apparent difference in the simulation accuracy was observed among different intercropping models in the rapid and senescence crop growth stages. The simulation accuracy of the MICG model was apparently higher than that of ICGw and ICG models. However, the MICG model still needs to be further improved considering its some limitations, e.g., the soil respiration and soil nitrogen transformation modules need be introduced in this model. Additionally, an apparent difference in crop growth dynamics in different spatial arrangements was observed, particularly in different hydrological years. The largest difference in crop growth dynamics in different spatial arrangements was observed in the middle crop growth stage (days after sowing [DAS] 20–100) in the wet year and in the late crop growth stage (DAS 101–140) in the dry year. In general, the highest aboveground biomass and yields of corn and tomato were observed in the IC 2–2 and ST systems, respectively. However, the highest water use efficiency for corn (23.9) and tomato (268.7) was observed in the IC 4–2 and ST systems, respectively. The agricultural production benefits in the IC 4–2 system were better than in the IC 2–2 system. Average land equivalent ratio and water equivalent ratio in both years increased by 0.8 % and 12.5 % in the IC 4–2 system compared with those in the IC 2–2 system, respectively. Overall, the IC 4–2 system could be recommended as the most optimal spatial arrangement for the tomato–corn intercropping system.