“OrchardSim: Design of an Apple Orchard” is a computer simulation program that was developed as a tool for students and new apple growers to understand the process involved in designing an efficient apple orchard. This program was developed on Toolbook software. It explores key elements involved in designing an apple orchard. Users are introduced to these elements and then asked to make selections for each of the following parameters: soil type, cultivar, rootstock, and management system. The goal of the program is to find compatible selections that will result in an appropriate design of a 1-acre orchard. This full-color program uses text, graphics animation, and still pictures to provide the following: introductory and review information about each parameter, opportunities for the user to make a selection for each parameter, and a check for choices made to determine compatibility. Users receive feedback for each specific choice made for each of the parameters throughout the program. This simulation presents an alternative instructional tool, whereby the user plays an active role in the learning process by practicing and reviewing information at one's own pace. OrchardSim provides users with immediate feedback and an excellent opportunity for making high-risk decisions, with no financial loss that otherwise would have been costly if the learning process were pursued in the real orchard.
Hyper-spectral estimation of soil organic matter in apple orchard based on CWT
