|
|
How to Manage Pests
Interactive Tools and Models: ALFALFA 1.4
ALFALFA 1.4 is a model that simulates growth and development of the
alfalfa plant. The model is based in integrative plant physiology and
morphology. Beginning with tissue- and organ-level information, the growth
of shoots, including individual leaves and stem internodes, is simulated
for up to five age classes of stems. Perennial, underground structures
(crown, taproot, and fibrous roots) are simulated over 10 soil layers.
The model includes variations in plant population so that overwintering
and stand persistence can be simulated.
The program is driven by daily weather data from standard meteorological
reports. Hourly weather variables are derived from the daily data to support
the model's hourly time advance. This approach permits simulation of the
diurnal patterns of production processes and growth for studying the influences
of temperature, radiation, water deficit, and carbon supply.
ALFALFA 1.4 offers a robust structure suited to a wide range of management
issues and for coupling to insect and disease models. The Fortran program
is organized to allow flexible inputs and outputs with run-time graphics
selected from a choice of more than 100 variables.
The model's authors, R. Ford Denison and Bob Loomis, wrote UC ANR Publication
1926, An Integrative Physiological Model of Alfalfa Growth and Development, to
accompany the program. This 75-page publication describes the science behind
the model, explains subroutines, and includes the executable code.
The project was initiated with the sponsorship of the University of California
Statewide Integrated Pest Management Project, with funding from USDA-CSRS
Western Regional Project W-161.
Availability of ALFALFA 1.4
- Order, from UC IPM, the model
on disk with the 75-page manual for $25.00, or $7.00 for the manual only.
- The program, without the manual, is available courtesy of R. Ford Denison here as a zipped file.
Important: Place
the downloaded file into its own directory, then use a decompression
program such as PKZip (Windows)
or WinZip (Windows)
or ZipIt (Macintosh)
to expand the 25 files onto your hard disk. Download
Top of page
|
