Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 9. Current-day alert status for all climatic regions and species in the web-based decision
support system SOPRA with colour code for of monitoring options (blue) and plant-
protection measures (red). Dark colours stand for optimum times for intervention; light
colours pre- and post warning times.
Furthermore for each species an overview table of all climatic regions is available that is
sorted by phenology. Those tables are designed especially for consultants that need a more
overall impression of the phenology and its variability between certain regions. Again the
table with colour coded alert status can be scrolled through the entire year or zoomed out
for overview. Table cells with the region/day combination also lead directly to the core of
the decision support system with graphical output and according verbal interpretation.
6. Conclusions and outlook
Major obstacles for efficient use of simulation models by extension advisors and consultants
are the diversity of model approaches, the missing standards for data input and output, and
the lack of a user-friendly interface (Rossing et al., 1999; van der Werf et al., 1999). We
solved the main problems with integration of all target species in one flexible and
extendable simulation tool that was written as a common MS Windows application. As a
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