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Decision Support Systems (DSS) in agriculture are computer-based tools designed to assist farmers, agricultural managers, and other stakeholders in making informed decisions related to various aspects of agricultural production and management.

These systems integrate data from multiple sources such as weather forecasts, soil conditions, crop characteristics, market prices, and farm operations to provide users with valuable insights and recommendations.

The key components of DSS in agriculture typically include data collection, processing, analysis, and presentation. They leverage technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and data analytics to generate actionable information for users. DSS can be used for a wide range of purposes in agriculture, including crop planning, irrigation scheduling, pest and disease management, resource allocation, and financial planning.

By utilizing DSS, farmers can optimize resource use, enhance productivity, reduce risks, and improve profitability. These systems enable users to simulate various scenarios, evaluate potential outcomes, and identify the most suitable courses of action. Additionally, DSS can help in complying with regulatory requirements, implementing sustainable practices, and adapting to changing environmental conditions.

This Topic page is a place where DSS tools and databases can be collated and shared. Please explore the DSS resources and initiatives under 'Connected Content' and share any that are not already on FarmPEP by creating a page and adding Decision Support Systems (DSS) as a connected topic.

Related Organisations

Content below is from across the PEP community and is not necessarily endorsed by Stewards or by PEP

Connected Content

The AHDB Recommended Lists for cereals and oilseeds (RL) publications and resources provide information on yield and quality performance, agronomic features and market options to assist with variety selection. The RL is updated annually with the latest update for 2023/24 being published on 28th November 2022. The latest lists can be accessed online here.

The IPM Decisions project will create an online platform that is easy to use for the monitoring and management of pests. Access the platform now at https://platform.ipmdecisions.net/  

Online guide to identifying arable weeds from ADAS, AHDB and BASF

  The Public Goods Tool (PG Tool) has been in constant use since its creation in 2011 (https://www.organicresearchcentre.com/our-research/research-project-library/public-goods-tool/)

All agricultural produce has to be sold. Use this page to connect to useful resources, organisations and tools to help achieve the best prices. Information is also available on input prices, such as fertilisers.  

The FarmSmarter app is an agri-tech decision making service aimed at smallholder farmers.  Our primary focus is to support smallholder farmers in achieving sustainable profitable production developing regions. We are extending our development to cover sustainable farming practices and improvement of biodiversity and soil health in the UK and Europe for future additions to the FarmSmarter digital toolkit.

Create IPM plans for your farm

Grasscheck Bulletins provide up-to-date information on the state of grass growth in Great Britain

Soilscapes is a 1:250,000 scale, simplified soils dataset covering England and Wales.

Our slurry wizard helps you work out slurry storage requirements, explore options and comply with regulations.  

Enter your crop costs and see how different yields and prices will impact the crop net margin

Healthy soils are important for the future of crop production in Europe and healthy crop rotations are a pre-requisite to maintain, improve or restore soil health. Nematodes and soil-borne pathogens are causing a threat to soil health. The decision support tools developed by the EU thematic network Best4Soil help the sustainable control of these threats.

The forecast predicts the hatch date for nematodirus based on temperature data from 140 weather stations throughout the UK and should be used in combination with your grazing history (more below) to assess the risk of nematodirus infection in your lambs.

Beef cattle in the arable rotation has many benefits to both beef and arable producers. But what are the costs and margins involved?

Based on RL data and parental diversity information, use the variety blend tool to select three-way or four-way mixes for on-farm testing.

An online tool to help dairy, beef and sheep producers monitor and compare medicine use and tackle the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Accounting for fertiliser and grain/oilseed prices, it calculates the adjustment in the amount of nitrogen to apply to cereals and/or oilseeds crops.

The UKSO map viewer is easy to use and has some of the most accurate and comprehensive available to view and use for free!

Specifically designed for beef and sheep enterprises, this cash flow spreadsheet will help you quickly see when money is coming into and out of your business and where it’s coming from and going to.

The Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) helps you make the most of organic materials and balance the benefits of fertiliser use against the costs – both economic and environmental.

Dr Mark Ramsden (ADAS) talks about the EU IPM Decisions and IPMWORKS projects, which together are supporting reduction of pesticide use across Europe

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