scholarly journals ON-FARM TRADE-OFFS FOR OPTIMAL AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN MATO GROSSO, BRAZIL

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Carauta ◽  
Affonso Amaral Dalla Libera ◽  
Anna Hampf ◽  
Rafael Felice Fan Chen ◽  
José Maria Ferreira Jardim Silveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Simulation Experiment ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Economic Behavior ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Double Cropping ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Decision Variables

To keep yield advances, farmers in Mato Grosso (MT) have been adopting several technological innovations. Therefore, agricultural production systems in MT have become complex and dynamic since farmers have to consider the increase of decision variables when planning and implementing their farming practices. These variables are widely spread across many distinct topics, bringing them together and summarizing information from diverse fields of research has become a difficult task in farmers’ decision-making process. Therefore, we performed an Integrated Assessment simulation experiment with a region-specific bio-economic component to assess trade-offs between different agricultural practices in a double cropping system. The simulation experiment was carried out with MPMAS, a multi-agent software package developed for simulating farm-based economic behavior and human-environment interactions in agriculture. Crop yields were simulated with the Model of Nitrogen and Carbon dynamics in Agro-ecosystems (MONICA). Our simulation results show a trade-off between lower soybean yields with the flexibility of double cropping when soybean with shorter maturity cycle is introduced. Results also captured regional differences in terms of land use share of different crops and farm configurations of double cropping. These results provide key insights into a farmer’s decision-making process depending on a multitude of decision variables.

scholarly journals Identifying Land Use Change Trajectories in Brazil’s Agricultural Frontier

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 506
Author(s):  
Adeline M. Maciel ◽  
Michelle C. A. Picoli ◽  
Lubia Vinhas ◽  
Gilberto Camara
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Change Trajectories ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Double Cropping ◽  
Trajectories Of Change ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Temporal Trajectory

Many of the world’s agricultural frontiers are located in the tropics. Crop and cattle expansion in these regions has a strong environmental impact. This paper examines land use and land cover transformations in Brazil, where large swaths of natural vegetation are being removed to make way for agricultural production. In Brazil, the land use dynamics are of great interest regarding the country’s sustainable development and climate mitigation actions, leading to the formulation and implantation of public policies and supply chain interventions to reduce deforestation. This paper uses temporal trajectory analysis to discuss the patterns of agricultural practices change in the different biomes of Mato Grosso State, one of Brazil’s agricultural frontiers. Taking yearly land use and cover classified images from 2001 to 2017, we identified, quantified, and spatialized areas of stability, intensification, reduction, interchange, and expansion of single and double cropping. The LUC Calculus was used as a tool to extract information about trajectories and trajectories of change. Over two decades, the land use change trajectories uncover the interplay between forest removal, cattle raising, grain production, and secondary vegetation regrowth. We observed a direct relationship between the conversion of forest areas to pasture and of pasture to agriculture areas in the Amazon portion of the Mato Grosso State in different periods. Our results enable a better understanding of trends in agricultural practices.

scholarly journals A Complete MCDM Model for NPD Performance Assessment in an LED-Based Lighting Plant Factory

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Wen-Chin Chen ◽  
Yen-Fu Lin ◽  
Kai-Ping Liu ◽  
Hui-Pin Chang ◽  
Li-Yi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
New Product ◽  
Fuzzy Decision Making ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Fuzzy Delphi ◽  
Plant Factory

Globally, industries and economies have undergone rapid development and expansion over the last several decades. As a result, global warming and environmental contaminations have resulted in climate change and jeopardized food security. In many developing countries, already decreasing crop yields are threatened by extreme weather and soil damaged by genetically modified food, making environmental problems worse and increasing food and organic product prices. For these reasons, this study proposes a hybrid multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) model for new product development (NPD) in the light-emitting diode- (LED-) based lighting plant factory. First, literature reviews and expert interviews are employed in constructing a list of decision-making objectives and criteria for new product development. Then, a fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) is used to screen the elements of the objectives and criteria, while a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (FDEMATEL) is used to determine the relationships among the objectives and criteria. Finally, a fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) and a composite priority vector (CPV) are manipulated to determine the relative importance weights of the critical objectives and criteria. Results show that the proposed method can create a useful and assessable MCDM model for decision-making applications in new product development, and a case study is herein performed to validate the feasibility of the proposed model in a Taiwanese LED-based lighting plant factory, which not only provides the decision-makers with a feasible hierarchical data structure for decision-making guidance but also increases the competitive advantages of trade-offs on developing novel products.

scholarly journals Ranking of Drivers of Sustainable Manufacturing

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1436-1441
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Decision Model ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Important Criterion ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
Vast Literature

Sustainable manufacturing is important criterion nowadays in developing nations like India. Its implementation is made almost compulsory for all types of industries for the sake of the environment. It could be better implemented if its supporting factors are used at priority instead of wasting time with other less important factors that are not worthy in the process of implementation. So, here in this paper already identified drivers of sustainable manufacturing through a vast literature review of past articles are ranked to give them priority numbers, so that these could be used at first in comparison to the lower ones in the hierarchy table for implementation of sustainable manufacturing. As the ranking of factors is a decision-making process, here we used one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Model Techniques, named as a fuzzy linguistics approach of decision making for ranking or prioritization of factor, for ranking of drivers of sustainable manufacturing. Total 13 identified drivers have first categorized in four different criteria with four different decision variables using 5 point linguistic ratings and then has been ranked, from one to thirteen as one is for most supportive driver and thirteenth as least supportive driver of sustainable manufacturing. These are suggested to various industries for implementing sustainable manufacturing an easier task for them. It might be very helpful for them.

scholarly journals Integrating IVHM and Asset Design

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian K Jennions ◽  
Octavian Niculita ◽  
Manuel Esperon-Miguez
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
System Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Causes Of Failure

Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) describes a set of capabilities that enable effective and efficient maintenance and operation of the target vehicle. It accounts for the collecting of data, conducting analysis, and supporting the decision-making process for sustainment and operation. The design of IVHM systems endeavours to account for all causes of failure in a disciplined, systems engineering, manner. With industry striving to reduce through-life cost, IVHM is a powerful tool to give forewarning of impending failure and hence control over the outcome. Benefits have been realised from this approach across a number of different sectors but, hindering our ability to realise further benefit from this maturing technology, is the fact that IVHM is still treated as added on to the design of the asset, rather than being a sub-system in its own right, fully integrated with the asset design. The elevation and integration of IVHM in this way will enable architectures to be chosen that accommodate health ready sub-systems from the supply chain and design trade-offs to be made, to name but two major benefits. Barriers to IVHM being integrated with the asset design are examined in this paper. The paper presents progress in overcoming them, and suggests potential solutions for those that remain. It addresses the IVHM system design from a systems engineering perspective and the integration with the asset design will be described within an industrial design process.

Different cost-benefit analyses in The Netherlands for the European Water Framework Directive

Water Policy ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 746-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. van der Veeren
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
European Water Framework Directive ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
European Water ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Economic Analyses

Since 2005, several cost benefit analyses have been performed for the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) in The Netherlands. These analyses had in common that they were meant to support the decision-making process by informing policy makers and making the trade-offs as transparent as possible. The analyses also anticipate questions from the Dutch Parliament. Nevertheless, each time the analyses were slightly different, depending on the situation and (political) questions that had to be answered. This article presents the background and the highlights of the various analyses, describes their differences and similarities and tries to find a common thread in the results. Even though the results are barely comparable for a number of reasons, they seem to indicate that such a line exists and that economic analyses have played a role in the decision-making process by making tradeoffs more explicit. This has offered the opportunity for an iterative dialogue with the Dutch Parliament, which contributed to a decision-making process which resulted in a socially accepted programme of measures that is economically sound and transparent.

scholarly journals Long term Temperature and Precipitation Trends Assessment in the state of Qatar and its Implication to Energy Water and Food Nexus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Al-Ansari Tareq ◽  
Govindan Rajesh ◽  
Hazrat Bilal
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Winter Precipitation ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Monthly Precipitation ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
Security Assessment ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Trade Offs

Abstract Climate change is one of the most severe global challenges of the present generation. Variations in temperature and precipitation can seriously affect water energy, water and food (EWF) security. Assessment of the ground-based observation of the climatic parameters such as temperature and precipitation are vital for the overall decision-making process concerning energy, water and food security. In this study, temperature and precipitation data is investigated using the Mann Kendall, Pettitt and Watson tests and inter-annual variability assessment. Long-term temperature data indicates that the annual and seasonal temperature has increased significantly between 1987 and 2016. The mean temperature has increased by 1.02 ℃ over the period of observation. In contrast, the study determines that precipitation during the period of observation decreased by -12.6 mm. However, this decreasing trend is not statistically significant (p < 0.05). Furthermore, total monthly precipitation is observed to be decreasing during the winter (December-January-February-DJF) while increasing in spring (March-April-May-MAM), summer (June-July-August-JJA) and autumn (September-October-November-SON). Despite the observed increases in the seasonal temperature during JJA, MAM and SON, the decreasing trend in winter precipitation is of more concern as most of the rainfall is received during DJF. These results have serious implications for EWF resources and the ‘nexus’ between them. Such integrated resource management approaches not only lower the risks of a one-dimensional decision-making process, it can also identify interdependencies, synergies, and trade-offs amongst the EWF sectors. As an outcome of the calculated trends, this study recommends measures to improve the overall resilience of EWF sectors and to adapt and mitigate the negative consequences of the changing climate faced by these sectors.

The Decision-Making Process and Insect Control

1964 ◽  
Vol 96 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 221-230
Author(s):  
H. Hurtig
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Integrated Control ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Insect Control ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Advisory Committees ◽  
Legislative Action ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThe decision-making process in insect control at the practical level involves not only the complex relationships between pests and their environment, but also equally complex human relationships and values. The actions advantageous to one of our resources may be harmful to another. Ultimately, the process of decision-making, at the individual problem level, must be integrated with economic factors, public health and sociological considerations. Calculated risks must be taken, but decision-making should he based on the evaluation of data bearing on efficiency, economy and safety of use of any method, including pesticides. Integrated control as a newly repopularized concept is examined in relation to the economics of its potential application in Canada. The concept of safety of pesticide residues in food is discussed and related to “good agricultural practices.” Three operative levels of decision-making are examined; the regulatory, quarantine and pest suppression activities and the role of the local advisory committees on pest control. The author expresses concern that the current public preoccupation with establishing safeguards for pesticide use does not begin and end merely with legislative action and strengthening of enforcement agencies. A desirable parallel result likely to be overlooked would be administrative and financial support for research on how the use of pesticides may be developed in the best interests of the community as a whole.

Systems-based risk analysis

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yacov Y. Haimes
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Managerial Decision Making ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Catastrophic Risks

Risk models provide the roadmaps that guide the analyst throughout the journey of risk assessment, if the adage ‘To manage risk, one must measure it’ constitutes the compass for risk management. The process of risk assessment and management may be viewed through many lenses, depending on the perspective, vision, values, and circumstances. This chapter addresses the complex problem of coping with catastrophic risks by taking a systems engineering perspective. Systems engineering is a multidisciplinary approach distinguished by a practical philosophy that advocates holism in cognition and decision making. The ultimate purposes of systems engineering are to (1) build an understanding of the system’s nature, functional behaviour, and interaction with its environment, (2) improve the decision-making process (e.g., in planning, design, development, operation, and management), and (3) identify, quantify, and evaluate risks, uncertainties, and variability within the decision-making process. Engineering systems are almost always designed, constructed, and operated under unavoidable conditions of risk and uncertainty and are often expected to achieve multiple and conflicting objectives. The overall process of identifying, quantifying, evaluating, and trading-off risks, benefits, and costs should be neither a separate, cosmetic afterthought nor a gratuitous add-on technical analysis. Rather, it should constitute an integral and explicit component of the overall managerial decision-making process. In risk assessment, the analyst often attempts to answer the following set of three questions (Kaplan and Garrick, 1981): ‘What can go wrong?’, ‘What is the likelihood that it would go wrong?’, and ‘What are the consequences?’ Answers to these questions help risk analysts identify, measure, quantify, and evaluate risks and their consequences and impacts. Risk management builds on the risk assessment process by seeking answers to a second set of three questions (Haimes, 1991): ‘What can be done and what options are available?’, ‘What are their associated trade-offs in terms of all costs, benefits, and risks?’, and ‘What are the impacts of current management decisions on future options?’ Note that the last question is the most critical one for any managerial decision-making.

Improved Methodology for Developing a Long-Range Pavement Rehabilitation Program

1997 ◽  
Vol 1568 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-185
Author(s):  
Li Wang ◽  
Michael I. Darter ◽  
Kathleen T. Hall ◽  
Yan Lu ◽  
David L. Lippert
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Rehabilitation Program ◽  
Pavement Management ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Real Problem ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
User Friendly

Current methodologies for developing, evaluating, and improving longrange rehabilitation programs may be classified as manual or analytical. The major limitation of manual methods is that although they are practical, they are not cost-effective because of the difficulties of comparing potential cost/benefit trade-offs among alternatives. Analytical methods, on the other hand, are more cost-effective but often not practical, because they oversimplify the real problem into a mathematical model and do not allow engineers and managers to be involved in the decision-making process. A new methodology and new concepts to overcome these major deficiencies were developed and implemented. The first of the new concepts is the use of graphical data interpretation and “visual thinking.” The second is that pavement performance evaluation should be comprehensive and quickly accessible. The third is that human knowledge should be involved in the decision-making process through a user-friendly interface. The fourth is that the relationships among the components of the methodology should be flexible rather than rigid. Finally, the process should be efficiently repeatable so that a satisfactory long-term rehabilitation program can be developed. A user-friendly, Windows-based pavement management system, called Windows ILLINET, was produced in this study on the basis of the new methodology and concepts.

Decision Decomposition for the Lifecycle of the Design Process

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Wade Fallin ◽  
Deborah L. Thurston
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Space ◽  
Parametric Design ◽  
Graph Representation ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Matrix Structure ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
Artificial Hip ◽  
Hierarchical Matrix

Abstract Expanding design analysis to include lifecycle considerations makes design decision making more complex. This paper presents a methodology for structuring the lifecycle of the design decision making process itself in order to efficiently utilize designers’ time. The first step involves organizing performance objectives and decision variables into a hierarchical matrix structure defining the design space. Then, vertex partitioning is performed on a graph representation of the design space to delineate distinct stages where only a subset of decision variables are analyzed. An example of the parametric design of an artificial hip illustrates the methodology.

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