Simulation of the Agro-Energy Farm with the X-Farm Model: Calibration of the Crop Module for Sorghum Yield

This paper presents the X-farm model, a dynamic farm simulation model created to manage sustainable farming systems and to improve the planning capability of farms. X-farm considers an “agro-energy farm” where energy self-sufficiency results from the production, transformation and use of biomass obtained from the farm crops. The X-farm model is formed by different modules, integrated to describe the components of the agro-energy farm and grouped into management, production, soil and accountability (in terms of energy, environment and economy) sections. The main farm productions are the field crop yields. The model simulates a farm in which cereal and forage yield, oil seeds, milk and meat can be sold or reused. A preliminary calibration of the crop module of X-farm has been performed using experimental data from Sorghum bicolor L. (Moench) trials. X-farm has been implemented and calibrated using the SEMoLa language and simulation framework. Simulations of different cropping scenarios have been performed to test the X-farm capabilities to simulate complex farming systems, in order to be used as a decision-support tool.