The Agricultural Land Management Alternative with Numerical Assessment Criteria (ALMANAC) model

Process based simulation model combining an easily parameterized plant model with readily available soils data and weather data, are valuable tools for a wide variety of management, environmental, and climate change scenarios. The Agricultural Land Management Alternative with Numerical Assessment Criteria (ALMANAC) model has proven useful for many applications. In this chapter the basic processes simulated by this model will be described. Examples of several applications will be provided. The process of deriving parameters for various plant types will be described. The ALMANAC model did an acceptable job simulating the yields of diverse grasses, annual crops, and tropical tree crops. Thus the overall conclusion was that the ALMANAC model shows great promise in simulating grasses, trees, and crops in a wide range of locations.