Contribuciones al modelado, simulación y control en ingeniería agrícola

Abstract

With a world’s population that is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, natural resources becoming more and more exhausted and climate change increasingly present and less discussed, it is more necessary than ever to look for solutions which allow both to improve crop yields, and to optimize the use of resources. One of the strategies that can be useful to solve this problem is the development of modeling, simulation and control techniques in Agricultural Engineering. Nevertheless, it is also very important to guarantee the transference of this knowledge and the creation of tools for its practical use. Within this framework, the tools presented in this PhD. dissertation have been conceived with three differentiated objectives: the development of an open tool for experimentation of modeling and control strategies in Agricultural Engineering, the development of an application for optimal fertigation management; and, the development of a library for the modeling and simulation of photobioreactors. In this way, the final result of this PhD. dissertation, apart from the publications and techniques conceived along its development, are three well differentiated software tools. These tools are oriented to the transference of knowledge and the improvement in education in Agricultural Engineering. Furthermore, as a function of the use of these tools, they might be an instrument for the productive sector, since they are easy to use, or even a good material for experimentation and testing of new research developments.