Dear DSSAT Users,

There have been several discussions recently about the differences in
results between DSSAT v3.5 and DSSAT v4.0. It seems that many people
are under the impression that DSSAT v3.5 is better than DSSAT v4.0.
If you carefully read the documentation provided with DSSAT v4.0 as
well as the DSSAT CSM paper written by Dr. Jones et al., you will
find that we made many changes in the code of the new CSM-CERES and
CSM-CROPGRO model. This includes  corrections of the code,  such as
errors that were present in the older code, and code improvements.
Although DSSAT v4.0 is not perfect, we feel that it is much better
than the previous versions. As stated in the documentation, the
cultivar coefficients that you used in DSSAT v3.5 might not work
perfectly in DSSAT v4.0. Prior to any application you first need to
recheck your cultivar coefficients and calibrate them, if needed.
There is a new utility in DSSAT v4.0, called CropTest, that you can
use to compare the two different model versions.

The Gencalc program that was part of DSSAT v3.5 so far has not been
included in DSSAT v4.0. We currently have a Beta Test version of
Gencalc and we are planning to demonstrate it during the upcoming
DSSAT Training Workshop in May at the University of Georgia. If you
are planning to attend, today is the last day for early registration.
We still have space for a few participants.

Happy Easter!

Gerrit