D6.3 Biophysical model connection modules

AGRICORE is a research project funded by the European Commission under the RUR-04-2018 call, part of the H2020 programme, which proposes an innovative way to apply agent-based modelling to improve the capacity of policymakers to evaluate the impact of agricultural-related measurements under and outside the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). 

Within the modular architecture of AGRICORE, which is presented in deliverable D6.1 of the Project, the connection of the agent-based simulation module (D6) with a series of external biophysical models (D15) is envisaged.

This connection will allow the incorporation of these models into the optimisation-simulation flow of each agent:
- On the one hand, the agro-management decisions taken by the agents can be passed as an
argument and simulated in the biophysical model to represent the realisation of an agricultural
campaign, with each agent receiving back its effective yield and the possible effects on its
agricultural land, among other information.
- On the other hand, the biophysical models may be used as experimental models for optimisation,
generating a series of alternative technological profiles among which the agents must decide
which to implement.

To incorporate either of the two functionalities mentioned above, it is necessary to have connectors that allow the exchange of information between the agents and the biophysical models, as well as the launch of the execution of the biophysical models via command line, without the need to use the specific graphical interface of each model. 

This document explains the implementation of such connectors (translators) to allow the interconnection of the AGRICORE tool with the WOFOST, DNDC and STICS biophysical models