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Applications--Agriculture
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 arming used
to be about physical tasks such as planting, plowing and harvesting,
although nowadays, knowledge of agricultural economics is crucial in order to make a
living. Is it better to store or sell your harvest, when should you deliver it, and
when should you set the price, at delivery or sale? All these variables, along with price
uncertainties, commodity markets, and joint marketing alternatives can have a tremendous
impact on the selling price of the crop. Also, other factors such as interest rates,
storage charges, and general market conditions determine the risk of selling or
storing a crop. The farmer needs the computational power of a mathematician, the
number-crunching power of an accountant, and the skills of an economist to make heads or
tails of the competitive agricultural market. This is where artificial intelligence
is introduced. The Grain Market Advisor(GMA) expert system was produced in Purdue
University, by team of engineers and domain experts through grant from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. This system helps farmers determine the best method of marketing the
grain they produce. During a consultation with GMA, grain price history information
is retrieved from a dial-up commercial database. The system uses this price
information to help predict future price trends, which are displayed to the user.
Utilizing this information, GMA helps decide which risk-sharing strategies are
relevant, and then tests them to see if they can be used in the current
situation. The system's interface is designed to be used by farmers, who are
usually not acquainted with computer technology by utilizing graphics and
a simple presentation format.(Edmunds 360) |
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