test cases for events

[djdebonis]

• test we can simulate pruning (and what comes with it, such as:)

  • expansion of lifeline of plants (?)
  • decreased yield in years immediately following pruning event
  • increase in yield in subsequent years

• test we can simulate intercropping of the same crop

  • increase in plot yield as new plants reach maturity
  • decrease in lifespan of pants (David has some data and a semi-functional regression of this relationship with coffee trees)

• test we can simulate intercropping of a different crop (this totally changes the dynamic, though)

• test we can simulate a wildfire event which wipes out a proportion of crops and requires replanting the following year

  • this brings into question the idea of whether the software will carry with it informational messages that direct farmers: if their farm burns down, there is likely some work that needs to be done for the restoration of the soil before replanting, and/or the soil quality could impact future yields. Will simulating these events warrant these types of messages/adjustments?

• test we can simulate the impacts of pests on plot health (i.e. proportion of plants that stay alive, lifespan of plants) and crop yield

• test we can simulate drought and how it impacts plot health and crop yield

• test we can simulate a large storm and how it impacts plot health and crop yield

• test we can simulate adding/removing an irrigation system and how it impacts plot health and crop yield

[mathematicalmichael]

Intercropping brings up some thoughts.

The function I have for event impact can access all the plot properties I believe, so it can use the density as an input for its predictions.

But how would I define a plot which has intercropped plants? Do I define a new plot with a lower number / yield?

I guess this comes down to handling this case:

• plant yams and pumpkins (and cucumbers) in the same area of land

How does this get fed into the system to yield a prediction? Currently we could support defining a plot for each. But somehow that should differ from actually planting the three in separate areas of land... gotta think that through. I guess they just have a different growth pattern. A harvest event can use any function for it's determined impact. So if the harvest event was a special one... specific to "harvesting an intercropped plot" ... then the impact could just be a number below 1 (decreases yield compared to if the plot was solely for that plant). This allows us to still keep the plots separate rather than change what it means to be a Plot object

[djdebonis]

Intercropping seems to be the toughest with same-crop intercropping (e.g. coffee trees with coffee trees) and especially with different-crop intercropping (as you just mentioned). The other issue has to do with age (if the original coffee trees are 10 y/o when the new ones are planted, they suddenly will be dying at different times. in this sense it makes more sense to have them as seperate plots). Another consideration is what if you have an annual plant (e.g. squash, cucumbers) intercropped with a perennial (e.g. coffee, cacao)