CROPES - A RULE-BASED EXPERT-SYSTEM FOR CROP SELECTION IN INDIA

Crop selection is a crucial and decisive task, given the dynamic envir onment of agricultural systems created by differences in climate, soil s, topography, cultivation practices, and available resources. For far mers and farm managers, a decision regarding crop selection is a diffi cult task since a number of factors have to be considered. A solution to this predicament is an expert system that uses all available inform ation to select the best suitable crops. In this article, the developm ent of a PC-based expert system (CROPES) for selecting crops in a regi on in Tamilnadu, India, is presented. The system, acting as an intelli gent consultant, asks a set of questions and then suggests appropriate crops. It recommends crops to a farmer at an early stage of crop plan ning based on location, climate, and farm level information pertaining to soils and available resources. The CROPES system was evaluated by specialists using farm data from a selection of farmers to assess its performance. It was found to be a valuable farm tool for crop selectio n.