Pasture Land Management System PLMS

1
Pasture Land Management System (PLMS)

• Investigators
• N.D. Stone - System Integration DSS
• G. Groover - Grazing Specialist, Agricultural
  Economics
• J. Galbraith Soils GIS, Crop Soil Environ.
  Sci.
• G. Johnson - State Agronomist Grazing
  Specialist
• D. Faulkner - Resource Economist
• J. Cropper - Forage Management Specialist
• B. Patterson - District Conservationist
• E. Rayburn - Forage Agronomist, WVU

2
Objectives

• Background on PLMS
• Introduction to the Website
• Information
• Updates
• Support
• Feedback
• Demonstration

3
Background...

• Goal Increase Adoption of IRGComputer decision
  aid lets land owners explore alternative
  management options at no risk.
• Why? Intentive Grazing Sound practices, Few
  adopters (e.g., 1 in 15 in VA)

• Other goals education
• Economics
• GHG Accounting

4
Related Systems

• NutMan A nutrient management DSS developed for
  Virginias Dept. Conservation Recreation

Landuse Planning Cycle

• CROPS a whole-farm planning system linked
  to NRCS data and GIS

• FORADS Forage AdaptationData System - NRCS

5
Implementation

• Problem conceived as a Supply/Demand relationship
  over time
• Supply from Simulation of Forage Growth, based on
  data and algorithms in FORADS
• Demand from calculated Animal needs for
  maintenance, growth, and reproduction
• Timeframe is a representative year, divided into
  months

6
Process

• Resource Inventory Farm, Fields, Animals,
  Budgets
• Defining Management Options (Baseline
  Alternatives)

• Simulation with (nearly) Immediate Feedback
• What-if game playing
• Reporting

7
Coding

• Object-Oriented Design
• Model coding in standard Java
• Interface Coding in Visual J
• ESRIs MapObjects for GIS manipulations
• Relational Data stored in Access

8
Status

• Initial Project with RLEP ended June 2001
• Training Project underway with USDA/SARE Grant
• First Training in December 2001
• Website for download supportwww.isis.vt.edu/dss
  /plms/
• Some additions to GHG Accounting underway through
  new agreement between EPA VT

9
PLMS Demonstration

• Focus is on decision support for producers and
  agricultural service industry
• GIS capability permits a visual interface could
  be expanded
• Goals Utility as Educational Tool and Planning
  Tool
• Not Perfect!We need you to make this work!