| dc.description.abstract | In a world where the population is immersed in the negative effects of climate change,
and the extreme weather conditions that emerge, several papers discuss its effect on
agricultural practices, and which innovations are crucial. One of the paramount factors
in agricultural practices, that is heavily affected by excessive precipitation as a result of
extreme weather, is soil compaction.
We want to assess whether climate forecasts can help farmers reduce the impacts of soil
compaction, and by doing so, create a higher sense of predictability in future production.
Hence, we create a model simulating how extreme weather conditions impact the soil
moisture levels throughout potato production.
In the simulation model, we use historical precipitation data from the driest year (2018),
and the wettest year (2005) in Norway since 1993. Our model is simplified, but, taking
into account the complexity of the hydrologic cycle and its effects on soil moisture levels,
we are able to provide a basic framework of the moisture levels throughout the potato
production process. We implement optimal and critical moisture levels in the simulation,
in order to see whether we are able to limit the amount of operations relying on heavy
machinery, when the soil is too wet.
Overall, the results show that heavy precipitation does have a substantial impact on
soil moisture levels, and how they effect soil compression. With future extreme weather
conditions causing heavy rainfall, precipitation is one of the largest moments of insecurity
for farmers, and their agricultural practices. A model with focus on soil moisture levels,
and how to combat soil compression, could decrease the sense of uncertainty for farmers
around the globe.
An assessment of the literature shows that the negative effects of soil compaction in
agricultural processes are prevalent. However, as there is a limited amount of studies that
model soil compaction, we suggest that further research is necessary to counteract the
extreme weather conditions caused by climate change, and the negative effects originating
from soil compaction. | en_US |
