Apsim

APSIM plant model was successfully modified to simulate wheat, maize and fieldpea monocultures in the European agro-ecological zone. Once calibrated, the APSIM model was then used to simulate a. Editapsim edit an.apsim file. Apsim runs an.apsim file. Readapsim reads files (.out and.sim) generated by apsim into a data frame. Apsimexample runs (only a few) of the built-in examples. Apsimoptions set global options: path for executable, examples and warnings. Editapsimxml edit an XML file such as Maize.xml or Soil.xml.

Prepare Your Learners for Career Excellence. Engage, measure, and develop your learners with simulations that mirror real-world experiences. From the classroom to the conference room, see how educators, L&D leaders, and talent management teams are building the future of learning and development. Reimagine Your Learning Experience. APSIM resulted from a need for tools that provided accurate predictions of crop production in relation to climate, genotype, soil, and management factors while addressing the long-term resource management issues.

Skip to end of metadataGo to start of metadata

Abstract

Name

APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems Simulator)

Description

APSIM is internationally recognised as a highly advanced simulator of agricultural systems. It contains a suite of modules, or components, which enable the simulation of systems that cover a range of plant, animal, soil, climate and management interactions. It is undergoing continual development, with new capability added to regular releases of official versions over time. Its development and maintenance is underpinned by rigorous science and software engineering standards.

Local Contact

Val Snow, AgResearch; Hamish Brown, Plant and Food; Dean Holzworth, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, http://www.apsim.info/Wiki/

Wiki URL

Scope

Intended biophysical domains

Soil-plant-animal

Does the model address water quality

No

Water quality parameters

Nitrogen
Phosphorus

Intended purpose

Simulation of agricultural systems (arable, pastoral, forestry) including production/yield, drainage and leaching. Nitrogen and salts are the primary solutes at present but the model’s capability in phosphorus is under active development.

Intended types of user

Primarily researchers but also consultants and farmers using alternative (simpler) user interfaces.

Intended breadth of user base (in-house specialist to widespread)

Widely available and highly used (relative the the possible user base!). 300+ licences, 150+ members of the users forum.

Geographic range limitations

None

Spatial resolution

Point-in-space but multi-point. Surface or subsurface transport is not s strength.

Spatial extent

Point

Steady state or dynamic

Dynamic

Temporal resolution

Daily or sub-daily

Temporal extent

Unlimited, depends on weather data

Spatial types

Vertical layers

Spatial dimensions

1D

Supermodel Membership

If part of a supermodel, describe

Climate

Climate data

Details:

Irrigation can be an input or can be simulated dynamically

Topography and topology

Surface topography

Details:

Slope only

Soils

Soil name or map
Soil hydraulic properties
Soil nutrient properties

Details:

Landcover/use

Crop and stock types and attributes
Crop and stock management

Groundwater

Water quantity/quality flux and state

Apsim met file

Input data required: old items to be removed once transferred to new template

Weather, soil properties, management rules

Outputs

Climate

Irrigation amounts

Topography and topology

Soils

Landcover/use

Crop and stock production

Groundwater

Water quantity/quality flux and state

Drainage from soil
Soil infiltration
Soil moisture content
Nutrient leaching from soil
Soil nutrient concentrations and/or mass

Ouptut data produced: old items to be removed once transferred to new template

Various, user-selected. Examples inlcude drainage, leaching, soil water content and nutrient concentrations, plant production, extretal and fertiliser additions, animal production, ...

Development history

Main developers

Software Engineering Group within the APSIM Initiative (AI). AI is an unincorporated joint venture with current members being CSIRO, 'Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation' (DEEDI), and University of Queensland.

Other development organisations

Other organisations contribute, primarily but not exclusively, through the development or imporvement of components in APSIM. These organisations include AgResearch and Plant and Food Research.

Current custodian organisation

APSIM Initiative

Funding mechanism

APSIM Initiative membership fees, revenue from training courses, commercial usage of the model, substantial 'in-kind' development from advanced model users

State of development

stable release

First development year

1992

Latest release year

2011

Latest version

7.3

Current development activity

Active

Likely longevity

Long

Cost and IP

Purchase or licence cost

Free for non-commercial usage

Support cost

User forum free, training courses approx. AUD1200 for two days with 3:1 student:trainer

Licence type

Commercial or IP constraints on use

Free for non-commercial usage, negotiate a licence for commercial usage

Open/Closed Source

Open Source

Applications

Organisations

Publications

Many

Many

Keating, B.A., Carberry, P.S., Hammer, G.L., Probert, M.E., Robertson, M.J., Holzworth, D.P., Huth, N.I., Hargreaves, J.N.G., Meinke, H., Hochman, Z., McLean, G., Verburg, K., Snow, V.O., Dimes, J.P., Silburn, D.M., Wang, E., Brown, S.D., Bristow, K.L., Asseng, S., Chapman, S.C., McCown, R.L., Freebairn, D.M., Smith, C.J., 2003. An overview of APSIM, a model designed for farming systems simulation. European Journal of Agronomy 18 267-288.

Technical considerations

Languages used

Several, historically primarily Fortran and C++, migrating to all .NET (C# and VB)

Is a formal API defined?

Is the model engine separated from the user interface?

Yes

User Interface

Graphical Desktop
Command Line
Web UI

Techniques/methods for data input

Primarily hands-on but automated population or variation is relatively easy

Input data formats

Various

Techniques/methods for data output

Primarily hands-on

Output data formats

text, csv, investigating NETCDF

Techniques/methods for data visualisation

Limited graphics in available in GUI, link to R scripts

Techniques/methods for user interaction and control

Methods included for calibration and uncertainty

User driven

Operating system / platforms

MS Windows
Linux

Quality of code and systems engineering

Good. Version control and testing system implemented.

Willingness of developers to collaborate

High

Stability

Reasonably

Availability of documentation of theory and code/software

User information

What do users have to learn?

With the standard interface, quite a lot. There are simpler, farmer-oriented, user interfaces with constrainted options.

Ease of learning

Good self learning material available but high expectation on user

Ease of use

Good compared to other models but not easy

Availability and completeness of user documentation/manuals

Very available butvariables completeness.

Availability of support

High

Willingness of developers to support users

High

Availability of user forums

Other information

Linkages to other models

Add-hoc

Notes

Apsim

Links

URL

APSIM Wiki

Apsim-sugar

Apsim

Apsimeskime Farais

References

Apsim Maize

Description