ISHS Acta Horticulturae 670: I International Symposium on Root and Tuber Crops: Food Down Under
THE CARROT CALCULATOR: A DECISION SUPPORT TOOL FOR CARROT CROP MANAGEMENT |
| Author: | J.B. Reid |
| Keywords: | Daucus carota, crop scheduling, planting arrangement, plant population, irrigation, fertiliser, software |
| Abstract:
Carrot yields and quality depend crucially on management decisions such as planting density, sowing and harvest dates, and the supply of water and nutrients. This paper describes the ‘Carrot Calculator’, decision support software developed to help growers make those decisions. The software is based on a model of potential yield, expanded with another model (PARJIB) that describes the effects of nutrient and water supply. Carrot crops differ greatly in terms of cultivars used, growing methods, and weather experienced. For instance, process carrots are often grown on ridges or on beds with several single rows, whereas table carrots may be grown on beds with several double rows. This diversity of growing scenarios can conflict with an important design brief for agricultural software – the need for simple interfaces that require a minimum of specialist input data. Accordingly, the Carrot Calculator is designed to be a small, highly adaptable program that can be customised to the needs of particular groups of growers. So, while the prototype software is specifically designed to help schedule crops grown on beds with at least 2 rows per bed, customised versions are readily produced that deal with other growing arrangements, fertiliser or irrigation requirements, etc. Both the prototype and a customised example are described in this paper. The prototype Carrot Calculator and installation instructions can be downloaded from the internet at https://ssl.crop.cri.nz/distribution/carrot/. | |
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