Developing a decision support system to improve crop management, yield forecasting and resource use efficiency in UK soft fruit production

英国软果行业在新技术上投入了大量资金，近年来市场产量增加了3倍，但如果作物农艺得到优化，进一步增加是可能的。然而，每年收获的水果中有33%被浪费，原因是腐烂、擦伤和保质期短，而这些在多变的天气下会加剧。将软果废料减少30%将抑制英国的进口，并为种植者带来额外收入。为此，我们将开发一个决策支持系统，帮助种植者改善决策，减少天气变化对作物产量和品质的影响。种植者、零售商和消费者将受益于更准确的产量预测，从而更好地定价；更高的资源利用效率，从而节省成本和改善环境绩效；生产过程中更少的浪费，从而增加销售吨数；提高高质量新鲜水果供应的一致性，保证保质期，从而减少储存中的浪费。

The UK soft fruit industry has invested heavily in new technologies and marketable yields have increased 3-fold in recent years, but further increases are possible if crop agronomy is optimised. However, 33% of all harvested fruit is wasted each year, due to disorders such as rots, bruising and a poor shelf-life that are exacerbated in changeable weather. A 30% reduction in soft fruit waste would stem UK imports and generate extra income for growers. To achieve this, we will develop a Decision Support System that will enable growers to improve decision making and reduce the impact of changeable weather on crop yield and quality. Growers, retailers and consumers will benefit from more accurate yield forecasts leading to better pricing, greater resource use efficiency leading to cost savings and improved environmental performance, lower waste during production leading to increased tonnage to sell, improved consistency of supply of high quality fresh fruit with an assured shelf-life leading to reduced wastage in store.