Web and mobile technologies in a prototype DSS for major field crops

• Published in: Computers and electronics in agriculture Vol. 70; no. 2; pp. 292 - 301
• Main Authors: Antonopoulou, E., Karetsos, S.T., Maliappis, M., Sideridis, A.B.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2010; [Amsterdam]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: agricultural land; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; alternative crops; Alternative cultivations; Biological and medical sciences; communications technology; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; Decision support system; decision support systems; farmers; field crops; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Cropping systems and patterns; Internet; mobile phones; Mobile services; Restructuring agriculture; sustainable agriculture; Greece; Mobile services; Decision support system; Alternative cultivations; Restructuring agriculture; Field crop; Prototype; Information communication technology; Restructuration; Agriculture
• ISSN: 0168-1699; 1872-7107
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compag.2009.07.024

Nowadays policy makers, agronomists and farmers are facing the challenge of restructuring the land use as a follow up of the newly introduced free market rules derived from recent policy revisions. In many cases, agricultural land is mainly covered by crops that are cultivated for decades and the selection of alternative cultivations seems to be a complex problem, mainly due to lack of proposals fitting market needs and farmers experience. Thus, the restructuring of the agricultural land and the formation of a well-balanced and sustainable agriculture, according to the new market demands, constitutes an important research area. The present paper proposes a Web-based Decision Support System capable to support mainly the farmers in the selection procedure of the appropriate alternative crops. The system goes further and provides the information needed and supports the farmer for the whole cultivation period. Moreover, the proposed system provides services through mobile phones since their penetration shows high rates even in population groups like farmers. The analysis, design and implementation of the proposed Decision Support System, as well as the evaluation, are presented and discussed. A selection of five crops (i.e. maize, soybean, sorghum, rapeseed, and cardoon), considered to be reasonable alternatives to traditional cultivars for Greek farmers, was made and related data included into the system.