Practitioners are poorly supported by the scientific literature when managing traceability information models (TIMs), which capture structure and semantics of trace links. In practice, companies manage their TIMs in very different ways, even cases where share many similarities. We present our findings from an in-depth focus group about TIM management with three systems engineering companies. fi...

This study investigated the scope and constraints for integrated use of mechanistic crop growth simulation models and earth observation techniques. Integration of highquality crop growth models and information derived from earth observations can contribute to improved use of resources, reduced crop production risks, reduced environmental degradation, and increased farm income. In the past, both...

Water quality concerns and revised regulations are changing how confined animal feeding operations manage manure. Devising acceptable and feasible changes in manure practices requires a full understanding of the forces shaping current manure management decisions. Previous theoretical models have shown that a wide range of factors influence the lowest cost solution for manure management. We used...

Concerns about manure P and water quality have prompted new regulations imposing P limits on land application of manure. Previous research established that P limits increase land needs for animal feeding operations. We evaluated the effect of N, annual P, and rotation P limits on the feasibility of manure management. A mechanistic model characterized manure management practices on 39 swine oper...

Energy use and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in rainfed canola production in north eastern Iran were analyzed to find measures to reduce energy use and GHG emissions. Four production scenarios, i.e. a high-input, a low-input, a better crop management and a usual scenario, evaluated. All activities and production processes were monitored and recorded over three consecutive years. The usua...

Conservation tillage and even no tillage as a practice is not new. However, there appears to exist evidence that in some cases no-tillage is successfully incorporated into a new concept of truly sustainable agriculture, gaining popularity as “conservation agriculture” all over the world. Conservation Agriculture is, besides no-tillage and direct planting, based on very old concepts such as gree...