Donatelli M., Russell G., and Rizzoli A.E. et al. – APES (draft rev#1.3, November 2008)
Environmental and agricultural modelling: integrated approaches for policy impact assessment
Springer

1

A component-based framework for simulating agricultural
production and externalities


M. Donatelli1,4, G. Russell2, A. E. Rizzoli3, M.Acutis5, M.Adam9,12,13, I. Athanasiadis3,
M.Balderacchi11, L.Bechini5, H.Belhoucette6, G.Bellocchi1, J.E.Bergez13, M.Botta1, E.Braudeau8,
S. Bregaglio1, L.Carlini1, E.Casellas6, F.Celette6, E.Ceotto1, M.E.Charron-Moirez13,
R.Confalonieri4, M.Corbeels12, L.Criscuolo1, P.Cruz13, A.Di Guardo1, D.Ditto5, C.Dupraz6,
M.Duru13, D.Fiorani1, A.Gentile5, F.Ewert9, C.Gary6, E.Habyarimana1, C.Jouany13, K.Kansou6,
M.J.R. Knapen14, G.Lanza Filippi5, P.Leffelaar9, L.Manici1, G.Martin13, P.Martin16, E.C.Meuter9,
N.Mugueta1, R.Mulia15, v.M.Noordwijk6, R.Oomen9, A.Rosenmund4, V.Rossi11, F.Salinari1,
A.Serrano1, A.Sorce1, G.Vincent8, J.P. Theau13, O.Therond13, M.Trevisan11, P.Trevisiol5,
F.K.VanEvert10, D.Wallach13, J. Wery6, A.Zerourou13


1 CRA - Agriculture Research Council, Bologna, Italy marcello.donatelli@jrc.it
2 UNIEDI - School of GeoSciences, Centre for Environmental Change and Sustainability, The
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
3 IDSIA - Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Manno-Lugano, Switzerland
4 JRC - Joint Research Centre, Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen, Agriculture
Unit, Agri4cast Action, Ispra, Italy
5 UNIMI - University of Milan, Department of Crop Science, Milan, Italy
6 INRA - UMR SYSTEM (Systèmes de Culture Tropicaux et Méditerranéens) Montpellier, France
7 CIRAD - IRD - UMR AMAP Campus Agronomique - BP 701 (CIRAD) Kourou, Guyane, France
8 IRD - French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, Performance of
Tropical Production and Processing Systems Department, Montpellier, France
9 PPS - Plant Production Systems Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
10 PRI - Plant Research International, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
11 UNICATT – Catholic University of Piacenza, Institute for Agricultural and Environmental
Chemistry, Piacenza, Italy
12 CIRAD - Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, UMR System #1230,
CIRAD-INRA-SupAgro, Montpellier - France
13 INRA - INRA, UMR 1248 Agir,Toulouse, France
14 Alterra - Wageningen University, Center for Geo-Information, Group Systems. Wageningen,
The Netherlands.
15 ICRAF SEA - World Agroforestry Centre, Jalan CIFOR, Situ Gede, Sindang Barang, Jawa
Barat, Indonesia.
16 LIRMM - Montpellier Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics, and Microelectronics,
University of Montpellier II, Montpellier, France

Donatelli M., Russell G., and Rizzoli A.E. et al. – APES (draft rev#1.3, November 2008)
Environmental and agricultural modelling: integrated approaches for policy impact assessment
Springer

2

Abstract ............................................................................................................................................4
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 5
APES: The Agricultural Production and Externalities Simulator ................................................... 7
Component based structure...................................................................................................... 8
Model components.................................................................................................................... 8
AbioticDamage (JRC, CRA)...................................................................................................... 9
AgroManagement (CRA)........................................................................................................... 9
AgroChemicals (UNICATT)..................................................................................................... 11
Crop (WUR, CIRAD) ............................................................................................................... 11
CropML (JRC, CRA) ............................................................................................................... 12
Diseases (CRA, UNICATT)..................................................................................................... 13
Grasses (INRA)....................................................................................................................... 13
FieldManager (INRA) .............................................................................................................. 14
LightInterception (INRA).......................................................................................................... 14
MassBalance (CRA)................................................................................................................ 14
RootDistribution (INRA)........................................................................................................... 15
SoilCarbonNitrogen (CIRAD, INRA)........................................................................................ 15
SoilErosion (UNIMI) ................................................................................................................ 15
SoilNitrogen (UNIMI) ............................................................................................................... 16
SoilTemperature (UNIMI) ........................................................................................................ 16
SoilReader (CRA, UNIMI) ....................................................................................................... 16
SoilWater (UNIMI) ................................................................................................................... 17
SoilWater 2 (CIRAD, LIRMM) ................................................................................................. 17
Tree (INRA)............................................................................................................................. 18
WaterUptake (INRA) ............................................................................................................... 18
WeatherReader (CRA)............................................................................................................ 19
APES intended use ................................................................................................................. 19
Inputs ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Parameters.............................................................................................................................. 20
Software architecture .................................................................................................................. 21
Component design .................................................................................................................. 21
Ontology.................................................................................................................................. 22
Model granularity in components ............................................................................................ 23
Test pre- and post-conditions.................................................................................................. 24
Exception handling.................................................................................................................. 25
Tracing .................................................................................................................................... 25