Tor Håkon Sivertsen Bioforsk Plant Health and Plant Protection, Hogskoleveien 7, N ‑ 1432 Aas (Norway); Reflections on the scope of the scientific principle and the idea of sustainable agriculture

Introduction Agro meteorology is applied science using scientific methods for the benefit of crop production: -It is used for finding how reality is composed -It is helpful when making strategic and tactical decisions -It is used for finding the results of the actions and the decisions made

The frame of agro meteorology? - The scope of the scientific method confines this frame - The most important relations of man and his societies confines this frame

The scope of the scientific principle? The scope of the scientific principle is in agro meteorological sense the scope of the quantitative models of the soil-vegetation-atmospheric system close to the surface of the soil

A graphical representation of an interpretation of the scientific principle used in meteorology

The scientific principle ( an interpretation) We start by classifying natural phenomena ( put them into classes and sub-classes) like air, cloud, soil, atmosphere, vegetational cover, canopy, leaf etc. Then we may attach measurable quantities to the phenomena, like mass, temperature, energy, leaf area index, momentum etc.

The scientific principle ( an interpretation) Testing and operational use of a model is not merely considered testing the hypotheses, but it is considered looking at the scope of the way we are classifying nature, the definition and measurements of parameters and the content of the hypotheses most often containing certain physical ‘laws’ like the conservation of energy, conservation of mass, conservation of momentum.

A Documentation System for Parameters (a) Measured (b) In Models Name of the parameter Unit Defintion Method(s) for making measurement Representative-ness for certain phernomena Name of the parameter Unit Definition Representative-ness of phenomena in model considered Representative-ness for phenomena in other models

Most of the parameters used in meteorology and in meteorological models I think, might be derived from physical concepts of classical thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and the radiation ‘laws’ of short wave and long wave radiation. Also changes of phase of the water of the parcels of air are included in this –water vapor – drops of liquid water – crystals of ice.

Agro meteorology Agro meteorological phenomena are combinations of meteorological and biological phenomena. The biological phenomena also may be describes by connecting measurable parameters to the phenomena: Leaf area index of a crop canopy, weight of the biomass etc.

The scope of the scientific principle You should not use the scientific models outside their scope. When it is possible and of any value to use the model systems within their scope, you should use them. A very important actual challenge in complex modeling, is integrating data from different sources.

Discussing concepts In order to look at the second part of the frame of agro meteorology mentioned, I think conceptual discussions are of importance. I would really like to have conceptual discussions going on connected to concepts used commonly like:’Ethics’, ‘sustainable agriculture’, ‘money’, ‘ecological system’, ‘ecological production’ etc. Below I will discuss the concept of ‘sustainable agriculture’, and I start with a discussion on the concepts of ‘classification’ and ‘relations’.

Classification of reality Man has classified reality dividing reality into different class and subclasses and given names to the classes and sub-classes: Mankind, parents, children, grand parents farmers, wholesale dealers, plants, crops, fields of cerals, leaves, apples, precipitation, houses, trains, horses etc.

Modern handeling of information Modern data technology has invented several ingenious systems ( database systems etc.) for handeling complex information containing classification of phenomena, attached attributes (numbers) and systems for manipulating numbers (equations) to the classes and sub-classes.

The concept of relations When you take a look into a dictionary you will find several definitions and different meaning of the word ‘relations’. I will use this word ‘relations’ in the following manner: It is possible to attach measurable(quantitative) attributes to sub- classes: The number of aphids in a field of crops, the relative humidity of the air etc. A relation between two sub-classes is defined as some incident or act involving some of the attributes of the sub- classes. ‘The farmer brings apples to the wholesale dealer’. This is a ‘relation’ involving the sub-classes ‘farmers’ and ‘wholesale dealers’.

The concept of relations Such acts or incidents or ’relations’, may be implemented quantitatively in database modelling systems. In certain database systems the classes also are considered to contain the incidents, the ‘relations’.

Important relations Among the most important relations we have, are those relating man and woman, those relating people now living and the generations to come, those relating mankind and other species etc.

Attaching attributes to important classes We may connect attributes (numbers) to the agricultural production, the storage of agricultural products, the distribution, the consumption and the treatment of the waste. ( This invokes acting; and the acting involves classes and sub-classes, and these sub-classes we regard as very important).

The concept of ‘sustainable agriculture’ We may define ‘sustainable agriculture’ as conservation of important sub-classes including their relations. ( Ethics is defined generally as conservation of certain sub-classes and their relations). Then we may invent technical systems( databases) accounting the attributes and relations of the important classes.

The concepts of ‘tactics’ and ‘strategies’ We also may look at the concepts of ‘tactics’ and ‘strategies’ connected to ‘sustainable agriculture’. All over the world there are existing systems for agricultural production, and the farmers have to make ‘tactical’ decisions in order to produce anything. But it is important to be able to make ‘strategic’ decisions in order to change existing systems into ‘sustainable’ agricultural producion when this is ougth to be done. The farmer knows that his ‘tactics’ today are not according to ‘sustainable agriculture’, but he must be able make the right ‘strategic’ decisions to change this.

Are we controlling the biology? The biological systems are not possible to control in the ‘ultimate’ sense; but we probably could act in a sensible way when understanding our relational contexts? Acting is not something ‘abstract’, like you always go to some advicers to be allowed what to do. You do not get ’sustainable agriculture’ without insight in the relational contexts, compassion when seeing what the ’world’ really is like?

How to determine future research in agro meteorology? Important acts to mention are the definition of research needed, what sort of research is of importance to get ‘sustainable agriculure’?