PARMS - A DECISION-SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR PLANTING AND RESIDUE MANAGEMENT

For many farmers, the task of assessing new methods and developing a p lan for change is difficult, given that current methods are entrenched from years of experience and new methods are not well understood. The Planting and Residue Management System (FARMS) is a decision support system (DSS) developed to facilitate farmer testing of new conservatio n systems before testing and using them in the field. The computer-bas ed DSS allows farmers to test alternative production systems under the ir specific farm conditions. FARMS was developed for western Canadian agriculture and applies the knowledge of crop residue management and p erformance of planting equipment for conservation systems to specific farm situations. An overview of the design of the system, the knowledg e acquisition method and an example are provided. The system was devel oped in C++, rather than an expert system shell, because the complexit y of the problem required more flexibility than shells allowed. The lo gic, data, and presentation within FARMS have been tested by researche rs, extensionists and innovative farmers.