1. DISC Decision Information Systems for Citrus

2. Premise of DISC • Information is growing exponentially • Need to apply information to remain competitive • Technology is improving, and costs less • Time is being compressed – cellphones, e-mail, etc. • Result – Not enough time to do everything, not enough brainpower to remember everything

4. DecisionInformationSystems for Citrus Technology Citrus Knowledge Base Technology

5. Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence • Expert System models a single decision, or groups of related decisions • Artificial Intelligence is a collection of Expert Systems – more complex • Certain decisions that are repetitive in nature, and involve remembering a lot of detailed information, can be modeled • Other decisions that require human creativity cannot be easily modeled

6. The DISC Team • “Domain Experts” – People who understand the decision process – researchers, growers, etc. • “Knowledge Engineers” – People who understand the process of building expert systems

7. Weather-Driven Expert Systems • DISC originated as an idea about describing, building, and running expert systems that require weather data as an input • Weather is a powerful variable in agricultural production, and must be accommodated in decisions

8. Three Things Needed • Expert Systems • Weather Information • Users • Need all to be viable • 1994 -- No easy way to collect weather information, few people familiar with expert system development, and very few growers using computers and technology

9. Current Status • Two weather station networks – Agrilink and FAWN • Many growers have computers • With FCPRC Funding, Team has developed pilot expert systems, and an operating framework for DISC • Next steps – finalize distribution process, add modules, refine interface with grower accounting software

29. 4 sprays of 2 lbs metallic / acre <-- 26 days-->

30. 5 sprays of 2 lbs metallic / acre .50ug/cm2 threshold

31. Integration with Financial Management Software • Currently, Kahn Grove Care has worked with DISC and Datativity to allow single entry of both financial and grove care data • Eliminates need to enter spray data, etc., twice • Currently working to allow automated data transfer between DISC and Quickbooks

32. Preplant Decision Model • Allows selection of best rootstocks for a site • Ranks rootstocks based on user-defined criteria • Have demonstrated the possibility of drawing GIS maps with rootstock locations

34. Nutrient Management Plan • Description and records of sources, uses, and ultimate fate of all nutrient materials – applied or natural • Methods of managing nutrients • Measures to eliminate or reduce off-site migration of nutrients into receiving water • Abbreviation – “NMP”

35. Thank You Very Much Pete Spyke Arapaho Citrus Management, Inc. Ft. Pierce, Florida www.arapahocitrus.com