Accurate modelling of plant development is the basis for any assessment of climate change impact on crop yields. Most rice models simulate development (phenology) based on temperature and photoperiod, but often the reliability of these models is reduced beyond the environment they were calibrated for. In our study, we tested the effects of relative air humidity and solar radiation on leaf appearance rate in greenhouse experiments and analysed data sets from field studies conducted in two extremely different rice‐growing environments in Nepal and Senegal. We also analysed environmental effects on duration to flowering of one popular IRRI material (IR64) for eight different sites covering the entire temperature range where rice is widely cultivated. Both low relative air humidity and low solar radiation significantly decreased leaf appearance rate. Mean air temperature explained 81% of the variation in duration to flowering across sites, which was furthermore significantly influenced by relative air humidity. Across all sites, a simple linear regression approach including mean air temperature and mean relative humidity in the calculation of duration to flowering led to a root mean square error (RMSE) of 10 days, which was slightly lower than the RMSE of 11 days achieved with an automated calibration tool for parameter optimization of cardinal temperatures and photoperiod sensitivity. Parameter optimization for individual sites led to a much smaller prediction error, but also to large differences in cardinal temperatures between sites, mainly lower optimum temperatures for the cooler sites. To increase the predictive power of phenological models outside their calibration range and especially in climate change scenarios, a more mechanistic modelling approach is needed. A starting point could be including relative air humidity and radiation in the simulation procedure of crop development, and presumably, a closer link between growth and development procedures could help to increase the robustness of phenological models.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of different fertilization ratios on the growth of pinto peanut (Arachis pintoi) propagated vegetatively under varying water regimes. The experiment was carried out in a net-house in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The N:P2O5:K2O ratios were applied at six levels: F1 (1:1:1), F2 (1:3:1), F3 (1:1:3), F4 (3:1:1), F5 (3:3:1), and F6 (3:3:3) while soil moisture included three different levels: 30% (W1), 60% (W2), and 100% (W3) field capacity. Water stress conditions were treated from 30-65 days after planting, and then the pots were irrigated to 100% field capacity. The results indicate that drought conditions significantly reduced (P<0.05) the growth of stolons, leaf appearance, number of secondary stolons, and dry matter, while the root/shoot ratio was higher compared to plants under well-watered conditions. There was no significant effect of the fertilization ratios on the number of secondary stolons. Higher-NP and NPK application ratios showed significant influences on the growth of A. pintoi under drought conditions by stimulating stolon lengths and the number of leaves, while the root/shoot ratio was decreased. Higher ratios of single fertilizers (N, P, or K) did not show a consistent effect on the growth of A. pintoi under drought conditions. The results suggest that a higher-NP fertilization ratio stimulates the growth of A. pintoi under both drought and well-irrigated conditions.