1. What is PyCropML?

PyCropML is a free, open-source library for defining and exchanging CropML models.It is used to generate components of modeling and simulation platforms from the CropML specification and allow component exchange between different platform.

It allows to parse the models described in CropML format and automatically generate the equivalent executable Python, java, C#, C++ components and packages usable from existing crop simulation platform.

1.1. What is CropML ?

CropML is a language based on XML format that allows to represent different biological processes involved in the crop models.

CropML project is intented to provide a common framework for defining and exchanging descriptions of crop growth models between crop simulation frameworks.

1.2. Objectives

Our main objectives are:

• define a declarative language to describe either an atomic model or a composition of models
• add semantic dimension to CropML language by annotation of the models to allow the composition of components of different platforms by using the standards of the semantic web
• develop a library to allow the transformation and the exchange of CropML model between different Crop modelling and simulation platform
• provide a web repository enabling registration, search and discovery of CropML Models
• facilitate Agricultural Model Exchange Initiative

1.3. Motivation

Nowadays, we observe the emergence of plant growth models which are built in differents platforms. Although standard platform development initiatives are emerged, there is a lack of transparency, reusability, and exchange code between platforms due to the high diversity of modeling languages leading to a lack of benchmarking between the different platforms.

This project aims to gather developers and plant growth modellers to define a standard framework based on the development of declarative language and libraries to improve exchange model components between platforms.