Tool for Fuzzy Multi Attributive Comparison of Alternatives

Abstract

Treatment comparison is an important practical problem for agricultural experimentation, when treatment results vary. To solve this problem, a tool for fuzzy multi attributive comparison of treatment alternatives was developed. The input data for the toll are technical and economic indicators, soil and agronomic characteristics, as well as expert opinions. The output from the tool is a ranking of the treatment alternatives. Application of the tool can significantly reduce the time to carry out the multi-attributed comparison of alternatives, making it possible to unify the process of comparing them, providing an assessment of alternatives that is less dependent on the preferences of the scientist, and creates the conditions for more informed management decisions. In this article, a tool for fuzzy multi attributive comparison of alternatives was applied for evaluation of long-term impacts of tillage and cropping systems. Yield data (1981-2001), which were used in this study, showed that the various combinations had pros and cons over time. The results from the utilization of the tool indicated that the combination of chisel tillage with a cover crop rotation was the best alternative. In addition, it was determined that where poultry litter was added to the wheat cover crop (or harvested for grain), the combination of conventional tillage with a cover crop rotation was the best alternative. Results of the computer simulation using the tool for fuzzy multi attributive comparison of alternatives provided a procedure to summarize long-term experimental data.