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Crop, soil and farm systems models – science, engineering or snake oil revisited

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  • Keating, Brian A.

Abstract

This “perspectives” article draws upon close to 50 years of experience in the development and application of crop, soil and farm systems models in pursuit of enhanced productivity and sustainability of agricultural systems. The scientific foundations and practical utility of such models have been questioned by some and this article shares the author's learnings around model development, testing and application in settings of applied agricultural research and development. The article concludes that provided a rigorous scientific approach is retained to model development, parameterisation and application, farm system models will remain essential in supporting effective agricultural research – in particular in addressing the 21st Century challenges of food security and sustainable development in the face of climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Keating, Brian A., 2020. "Crop, soil and farm systems models – science, engineering or snake oil revisited," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:184:y:2020:i:c:s0308521x20307642
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102903
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Keating, B. A. & Meinke, H., 1998. "Assessing exceptional drought with a cropping systems simulator: a case study for grain production in northeast Australia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 315-332, July.
    2. James R. Hunt & Julianne M. Lilley & Ben Trevaskis & Bonnie M. Flohr & Allan Peake & Andrew Fletcher & Alexander B. Zwart & David Gobbett & John A. Kirkegaard, 2019. "Early sowing systems can boost Australian wheat yields despite recent climate change," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(3), pages 244-247, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jarvis, Nicholas & Larsbo, Mats & Lewan, Elisabet & Garré, Sarah, 2022. "Improved descriptions of soil hydrology in crop models: The elephant in the room?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    2. Bockstaller, Christian & Galland, Victor & Avadí, Angel, 2022. "Modelling direct field nitrogen emissions using a semi-mechanistic leaching model newly implemented in Indigo-N v3," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 472(C).
    3. Katzin, David & van Henten, Eldert J. & van Mourik, Simon, 2022. "Process-based greenhouse climate models: Genealogy, current status, and future directions," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    4. Stirling, Sofía & Fariña, Santiago & Pacheco, David & Vibart, Ronaldo, 2021. "Whole-farm modelling of grazing dairy systems in Uruguay," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).

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    Keywords

    Farm systems; Modelling;

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