Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #61170
Title: MODCROP A CROP SIMULATION FRAMEWORK

Author
item Waldman, Sue
item Rickman, Ronald

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Computer simulations of agricultural systems are convenient tools for integrating large amounts of information into understandable, usable form. Development of the computer programs that implement these simulations requires producing the code for not only the simulation but also for the mundain tasks of screen displays, data input, and output display. The program code in MODCrop is a reusable collection of routines for screen display, data input and flexible data output. Utilization of MODCrop as the user interface for crop simulations relieves a researcher of the task of creating their own simulation interface. It provides a standardized method for using English or metric units interchangably for input or output and provides for a single run or multiple, unsupervised runs of the simulation. Using the ready made interface features of MODCrop, a researcher can spend their efforts on the science of a simulation rather that on the form of computer presentation.

Technical Abstract: Dynamic crop simulations are used more and more frequently as research and education tools and to assist in making management decisions. MODCROP is an interface framework for controlling a dynamic simulation that simplifies applying the simulation. The program operates under DOS on an IBM compatible Personal Computer (PC) with 640K of RAM and a hard disk drive. Although a math co-processor is desirable, it is not required. It is constructed from modules written in QuickBASIC. Most of the modules can be reused without modification to provide user interface, data input and data output services to compatible simulations. The framework allows data input or output in either metric or English units. Any parameter within a simulation under its control can be selected for output depending on the wishes of the user. A simulation can be customized by interactive access to all initial parameter values and it can be operated in batch mode to determine patterns of predicted results. The framework is supplied with MODWht3, a daily simulation of organ by organ development and growth of winter wheat. MODCROP provides ease of use and simulation control features that are not commonly available in other simulation interfaces.