Integrating new fruit and vegetable growth parameters in SWAT models for improved simulations

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) includes plant parameters for only a few fruits and vegetables. Testing SWAT parameters for these crops remains very limited, including the need for evaluation of table food crops in historically low production areas. This study tests SWAT simulations for fruits and vegetables in the U.S. Western Corn Belt, to advance model evaluation in a data-limited region. We focus on 24 crops, integrating parameters from related models, expert opinions, and expected versus simulated yields. Parameters for 15 crops in the SWAT database were revised and nine crops were added. The resulting models achieved yield simulation errors within ±37%, a reasonable level of accuracy for underrepresented crops, and statistical tests further supported the robustness of the simulations. Future climate scenario analyses also revealed potential yield impacts and emphasized the need for adaptation strategies. Overall, this study helps fill important gaps in SWAT applications for fruits and vegetables and supports efforts to expand local table food production and crop diversification, although further testing is needed across additional climatic regions and longer crop yield time series.