Reimplementation and reuse of the Canegro model

Model reuse can be limited by software design, which often forces third parties to completely rewrite new versions of existing models before adapting them to new needs. This tendency removes resources from the development and improvement of models, and from the extension of their domain, leading to the proliferation of software having many different implementations of the same algorithms. A component-oriented paradigm allows these limitations to be overcome, facilitating massive model reuse and extension. This study presents the application of component-oriented principles to the reimplementation of the sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) model Canegro (DSSAT v4.5) in a framework-independent component following the BioMA (Biophysical Model Applications) architecture. Both opportunities of reuse and extension of the component are discussed in this work. Reuse was emphasized through the development of a modelbased yield forecasting system for sugarcane in Brazil. The BioMA Spatial application was applied to perform (i) the spatially distributed simulations with the Canegro component, and (ii) the yield forecasting at the state level. The potential for extension of the Canegro component was demonstrated by its straightforward adaptation for giant reed (Arundo donax L.), a promising energy crop that shares several morphological and physiological features with sugarcane.