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| Australian Soil Resource Information System |
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| Themes - Crop Modelling |
Crop Modelling Content
Crop Modelling OverviewASRIS hosts datasets that can be used as inputs to the tools developed by the Agricultural Production Systems Research Unit (APSRU), based in Toowoomba. The location of reference sites contained in the APSRU APSoil database can be viewed and input files for the APSIM cropping system simulator can be downloaded. The data for the ASRIS Level 5 (finest scale) soil units can be downloaded in an APSIM compatible format. What is APSIM?APSIM, the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator, is nationally and internationally recognised as a highly advanced cropping system simulator. APSIM simulates the growth of crops and cropping sequences for specific locations. It contains an ever increasing number of plant modules (currently 20) with additional modules for water, soil nitrogen, soil organic matter, soil phosphorous, erosion and land management. It includes the capability to interface with seasonal climate forecasts based on the state of the ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) system and has recently been extended to deal with agroforestry systems and crop-weed interactions. How do I access APSRU reference sites?APSRU reference sites can be accessed in two ways. They can be viewed via the ASRIS website (see below) or click here to load the APSRU reference sites into Google Earth. Once the APSRU reference sites have been saved to my places the data automatically be updated on a weekly interval. By selecting a site you can view a graph of the available water capacity (for wheat and sorghum) and download the soil input file by clicking the link. On the ASRIS website the APSRU reference sites can be viewed by navigating to the ASRIS Maps page. From the layer list on the right, expand the APSRU folder, make the APSRU Reference Sites layer visible (check the box next to the layer) and active (click on the page icon next to the layer) and click the "Refresh Map" button. By selecting the pan, zoom and identify tools from the toolbar on the left, the map can be manipulated and interrogated. Note that the locations of the APSRU reference sites have been randomly offset to protect the privacy of the land owners. To download APSIM input files for APSRU reference sites, select the hyperlink tool from the toolbar and click on the site of interest. If you need the APSIM software visit the APSRU website for further information. Before attempting to download APSIM input files based on the ASRIS Level 5 soil mapping check the Level 5 Extent to ensure that data exists for your region of interest (APSIM input files are not available for Queensland). If soil mapping is available, zoom to the region of interest, make the Level 5 Tracts APSRU layer (in the APSRU folder) visible (check the box next to the layer) and active (click on the page icon next to the layer) and click the "Refresh Map" button. Select the hyperlink tool from the toolbar and click on the feature of interest to begin the download. Please note that when using ASRIS Level 5 as an input into APSIM, additional parameters will need to be manually entered prior to running the model. Crop Modelling Downloads |