During the past decades, computer models have become an integral part of agricultural research, outreach, and education. These crop models have been used for many applications, ranging from gene-based modeling to climate change impact assessment and adaptation studies and policy recommendations. In this presentation, I will present practical examples from the AgWeatherNet Program in the state of Washington, USA, and the international crop modeling platform the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT).

Professor Dr. Ir. Gerrit Hoogenboom is a Preeminent Scholar in the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems, and a faculty member of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Florida, USA. Prior to joining the University of Florida, he was the Director of the AgWeatherNet Program and Professor of Agrometeorology at Washington State University. He has over 25 years of experience in the development and application of dynamic crop simulation models and decision support systems. Applications range from freeze forecasting to climate variability and climate change, water resources management, biofuels, economic and environmental sustainability, and food security. He currently coordinates the development of the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT; www.DSSAT.net), a crop modeling system that is being used world-wide by many scientists and others interested in systems analysis and decision support. He received his Ph.D. from Auburn University, M.S. in Theoretical Production Ecology and M.S. and B.S. in Horticulture from Wageningen University, the Netherlands.
 
Contact : Evelyne Costes