Modelling crop rotations of organic farms

Summary

With the described holistic model approach it is possible to generate agronomically-suitable and detailed 3-8 year crop rotations for diluvial sites in north-eastern Germany under the special demands of organic farming systems with and without livestock production. The stand-alone version can be used for crop rotation planning at the farm level. In addition, this model version may be applied for studying the influence of the parameter and estimation algorithm ranges within the model on the complex interactions between site condition, cropping methods and the rotational cropping systems. Sensitivity analyses show those model parameters and estimation algorithms which have to be managed with special care and those for which further research is needed.