New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Orchard 2000--a decision support system
for New Zealand's orchard industries

M. R. LAURENSON

The Horticulture and Food Research Institute
of New Zealand
Batchelar Research Centre
Private Bag 11030
Palmerston North, New Zealand

J. G. BUWALDA

The Horticulture and Food Research Institute
of New Zealand
Ruakura Research Centre
Private Bag 3123
Hamilton, New Zealand

J. T. S. WALKER

The Horticulture and Food Research Institute
of New Zealand
Havelock North Research Centre
Private Bag 1401
Havelock North, New Zealand

Abstract  To compete in world markets, New Zealand's horticultural industries must meet increasingly stringent quality standards and market preferences, and continue to offer new and innovative products. Their ability to do this depends on the continual transfer of new orchard management technologies from discipline-based research programmes. "Orchard 2000" is a computerised decision support system designed to provide a standard framework for the encapsulation of horticultural science into decision support "tools" for orchardists. These decision support tools provide information which helps decision makers with specific management decisions. The framework incorporates an orchard database which stores details of orchard layout, weather, production, operation, and finances. The decision support tools share this database rather than having their own files, so data are stored in an easily accessible and non-redundant form. These tools also have a consistent graphical user interface, reducing the learning time for new tools. Prototype decision support tools for orchardists have been tested by trial groups of apple and kiwifruit growers, consultants, and agribusiness. The prototyping approach for tool development implies continued iterative refinement. An "open" software standard has been adopted to encourage third party development of decision support tools.

Keywords  decision support; computer models; orchard industries

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticulrural Science, 1994, Vol. 22: 239-250

0114-0671/94/2203-0239 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1994

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (4254K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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