The Integrated Farm System Model: a Tool for Evaluating Management's Influence on the Environmental Sustainability and Profitability of Farms

Concern over the environmental impact of our farms continues to grow. Their impact on water quality has been an important issue for a number of years, and now their impact on air quality has become a public concern. Management strategies can be used to reduce these impacts, but quantifying their long-term benefits and their effect on farm profitability is difficult. The Integrated Farm Systems Model (IFSM) is a software tool created to evaluate and quantify these effects.

This half day workshop will introduce participants to IFSM and provide training on the use of the tool for research, education and outreach. The software will be provided, and an overview of the process-based simulation used in the model will be given along with hands-on instruction in using the tool to compare production strategies.

Overview
Process-based simulation of farming systems provides a powerful, comprehensive tool for evaluating the long-term impacts of management changes. Such changes can include crops grown, equipment used, tillage practices, harvest strategies, animal feeding, and manure handling. These changes can affect farm productivity, nitrogen and phosphorus losses, greenhouse gas emissions and of course profitability. Only through an integration of all of these effects can more sustainable farming systems be developed for our future food supply.

Upon completion of the course, participants will:
·Have a version of the software tool installed on their computer
·Know the major model components
·Understand the process-based modeling approach used in the model
·Have a better appreciation for the physical and biological complexity of today's farms
·Have confidence in using the tool for evaluating and comparing farm production systems


Content
Participants should bring a portable computer for use during the workshop. Software will be provided along with instruction on installing and using the model. Applications of the model in evaluating management decisions faced by producers today will be demonstrated. Participants will also have the opportunity to test their own strategic changes in farm management.

Integrated Farm Systems Model
IFSM is a process-based simulation model that integrates the major biological and physical processes of a crop, beef, or dairy farm. Crop production, feed use, and the return of manure nutrients back to the land are simulated over each of 25 years of weather. Growth and development of crops are predicted daily based upon soil and weather conditions. Tillage, planting, harvest, storage, and feeding operations are simulated to predict resource use, timeliness of operations, crop losses, and nutritive changes in feeds. Feed allocation and animal response are related to the nutritive value of available feeds and the nutrient requirements of the herd.

Nutrient flows through the farm are modeled to predict potential nutrient accumulation in the soil and loss to the environment. Nitrogen volatilization from manure occurs in the barn, during storage, following field application, and during grazing while denitrification and leaching losses are influenced by soil properties, rainfall, and the amount and timing of manure and fertilizer applications. Erosion and the associated loss of phosphorus are predicted as influenced by manure and tillage management as well as daily soil and weather conditions. Greenhouse gas emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are simulated as caused by enteric fermentation and respiration by animals, microbial processes in manure, plant respiration during crop growth, microbial processes in the soil, and the combustion of fuel in farm engines.

Simulated performance is used to determine production costs, incomes, and economic return for each year of weather. A whole-farm budget is used, which includes fixed and variable production costs. Production costs are subtracted from the total income received for milk, animal, and feed sales to determine a net return. By comparing simulation results for different production systems, the effects of system differences are determined, including resource use, production efficiency, environmental impact, production costs, and profitability.

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