THE FORAGE PRODUCTION-UTILIZATION 

 SIMULATION MODEL 



The model simulated harvesting forage, feeding dairy cows, hiiying 

 and selling forage, and output of milk. The model treated each produc- 

 tion process separately (Figure 3), was designed so that most forage 

 harvesting systems (except for corn) could he simulated, and also pro- 

 vided for several grain feeding practices. 



Computer Programs 



The model was comprised of 5 computer programs written in FOR- 

 TRAN with FORMAT for a 1620 IBM digital computer. These pro- 

 grams may be used with any computer that can compile FORTRAN with 

 FORMAT programming language and has a memory unit of at least 

 40K.S The programs were written so that all the input-output coefficients 

 were controlled hy the operator. The model was built in 3 stages. 



Stage I 



Forage production, harvest, and storage were simulated in Stage I. 

 Because of the complexity of these operations, Stage I was written in 

 three programs. Program I simulated the production, mowing, and 

 harvesting of forage by quality and quantity using 2 different systems 

 that required more than 1 day to field-cure the forage. These systems 

 were: field-cured baled, and crushed field-cured baled. Each time a new 

 situation was processed, the program produced the following output: 

 (1) the name of the system and weather pattern used; (2) the day, 

 type, and amount (quality and quantity) of forage that was mowed and 

 harvested; and (3) the amount of resources used to mow and harvest all 

 the forage. 



Program II used the output from Programs I and II as input and 

 further classified the forage harvested as to quality. For each situation 

 the program produced the following output: (1) the name and number 

 of the system and weather pattern used, (2) the day, type, and amount 

 (quality and quantity) of first-crop forage, (3) the day (assigned to 

 second crop to make its value, in terms of DDM, proportionate to same 

 day of first crop), type, and amount (quality and quantity) of second 

 crop, and (4) the amount of resources used to mow and harvest all the 

 forage. 



Stage II 



Program IV, the only program in Stage II, used the output from 

 Program III as input in the simulation of milk production under farm 



8 For programs in FORTRAN, see A Simulation Model of Forage Production 

 and Utilization by C. C. Cloud, R. A. Andrews, and G. E. Frick, D.R.E., Agr. Expt. 

 Sta., University of New Hampshire, Special Report No. 5. 



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