Simulation of maize evapotranspiration: An inter-comparison among 29 maize models

•Eddy covariance measurements were used to inter-compare 29 maize models in their ability to simulate evapotranspiration (ET).•There was a huge range among the models in their simulations of ET for the initial blind phase, which continued even as more information was supplied.•Medians of the 29 models were generally close to observations.•Both simple and complex models were among the best in their ability to simulate ET.•Widely used models were consistently among the best, presumably because large numbers of users with a wide range of conditions led to improvements.