An engineering approach to modelling, decision support and control for sustainable systems

Abstract

Engineering research and development contributes to the advance of sustainable agriculture both through innovative methods to manage and control processes, and through quantitative understanding of the operation of practical agricultural systems using decision models. This paper describes how an engineering approach, drawing on mathematical models of systems and processes, contributes new methods that support decision making at all levels from strategy and planning to tactics and real-time control. The ability to describe the system or process by a simple and robust mathematical model is critical, and the outputs range from guidance to policy makers on strategic decisions relating to land use, through intelligent decision support to farmers and on to real-time engineering control of specific processes. Precision in decision making leads to decreased use of inputs, less environmental emissions and enhanced profitability-all essential to sustainable systems.

Food Security: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People

“…Strategies such as zero or reduced tillage (the reduction in inversion ploughing), contour farming, mulches, and cover crops improve water and soil conservation, but they may not increase stocks of soil carbon or reduce emissions of nitrous oxide. Precision agriculture refers to a series of technologies that allow the application of water, nutrients, and pesticides only to the places and at the times they are required, thereby optimizing the use of inputs (48). Finally, agricultural land and water bodies used for aquaculture and fisheries can be managed in ways specifically designed to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity.…”

Potential of Underutilized Traditional Vegetables and Legume Crops to Contribute to Food and Nutritional Security, Income and More Sustainable Production Systems

“…This can be achieved through the development of new technological improvements such as precision agriculture to optimize the use of inputs [10] and the adaptation and transfer of existing high-yielding technologies to low-yielding croplands. This approach would require a modest land clearing of 200 million ha by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions of one Gt per year, and global N use of 225 Mt annually [3].…”

Introduction. Sustainable agriculture

“…This first issue begins with four reviews that consider aspects of sustainability as they apply to global agriculture (Hazell & Wood 2008;Kitzes et al 2008;Pretty 2008;Scherr & McNeely 2008). There are then papers dealing with whole agricultural systems (Day et al 2008;Hobbs et al 2008;Wilkins 2008) followed by more detailed reviews of some of the technological approaches that will be needed if sustainability is to be improved ( We believe that publication of these reviews is particularly timely. Pressure on land, both nationally and globally, will increase for at least the next half century.…”