1. APSIM & The APSIM Initiative

2. The Agricultural Production Systems Research Unit (APSRU) was founded in the early 1990’s to bring together like minded scientists in the field of farming systems research. Parties were CSIRO and the State of Qld. APSRU grew out of work pioneered in Queensland, it developed APSIM and had a large portfolio of collaborative projects. In 2006, it was recommended that APSIM development be split from the farming systems research History

3. APSRU is now an informal collaborative network Collaboration is around farming systems, climate risk management and adaptation, and crop adaptation and improvement R&D Meeting point to discuss science opportunities, share knowledge, ideas and learning’s and develop new collaborative projects APSRU

4. The APSIM initiative (AI) has been established to promote the development and use of the science modules and infrastructure software of APSIM. The AI records a shift in focus in how APSIM is managed. APSIM development, maintenance and commercialisation are now the responsibility of the AI and so are now separate from the research-oriented projects activities. The Foundation Members of the AI are CSIRO, the State of Queensland (DAFF) and The University of Queensland. New parties are welcome to join at any time. Purpose: Ongoing development and maintenance of a world class framework for the testing and simulating of agricultural systems The APSIM Initiative

5. An open and transparent ‘APSIM Community Source Framework’ (modified open source) Aims to facilitate broadly based, collaborative science Best practice software development & maintenance Version control process Science quality control Scientific Reference Panel acts like an editorial board IP & risk management APSIM training & support Free public good licensing (R&D and education) Commercial delivery arrangements Approved by Steering Committee AI Technical & Business Agenda

6. What is APSIM? A highly advanced agricultural systems model created: to model system performance over time with an equal emphasis on crop and soil dimensions with a capability to deal comprehensively with management matters Development and maintenance is underpinned by rigorous science and software engineering standards

7. The soil provides a central focus, crops, seasons and managers come and go, finding the soil in one state and leaving it in another Features: mechanistic growth of crops, pastures, trees, weeds... dynamics of populations (eg. weed seedbank) key soil processes (water, solutes, N, P, carbon, pH) surface residue dynamics & erosion dryland or irrigated systems range of management options crop rotations + fallowing + mixtures short or long term effects one or two (multi-point) dimensions high software engineering standards Supports multiple languages links to livestock modules (APSFarm) Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM)

8. APSIM – Plug-in / Pull-out modularity Toolbox Climate Farm Management Farm Management Field 1 Livestock Field 2 Output Soil Water Soil Water Field Management Field Management Soil Nitrogen Soil Nitrogen Crop B Crop A Soil Phosphorus Soil Phosphorus Surface Organic Matter Surface Organic Matter

9. Plant / animal wheatsorghum sugarcanechickpeapotato mungbeansoybeanbambatsi navybean peanut barley maizesunfloweroats lucerneoil palm fababeancanola lupinmucuna cowpealablabpearl millet pigeonpearicecotton Trees (Eucalyptus) Pastures Weeds (C 3,C 4 grass,herb) Stock Environment MetMicroMet SoilWat (tipping bucket) SWIM (Richard’s eqn) SoilNSoilP Solute SurfaceOrganicMatter ErosionSoilTemp WaterStorage Management Manager (sow, harvest, fallow, tillage) Irrigation Fertiliser Intercrop/mixture competition APSIM Modules Red modules built as part of international collaboration.

10. Animals in APSIM AusFarm Developed by CSIRO Plant Industry APSIM Clock Report Met Manager paddock1 Soilwat SoilN Residue Chickpea paddock2 Soilwat SoilN Residue Chickpea Master Paddock Weather PaddockPasture (ryegrass) Pasture (clover) Soil water Manage Output Animals PaddockPasture (ryegrass) Pasture (clover) Simulate Stock Soil water + + + + +

11. Commercial Use