Within the SOLID project a decision support system has been developed. The tool is available  on-line for free. It is meant to help farmers to estimate the long-term balance of forage supply grown on arable and grassland and the demand of the  dairy herd. Thereby it can be a tool to identify potential shortages and overconsumption.

Read more about SOLID DSS:

• A brief Introduction in English: The SOLID DSS Manual
• A brief introduction in German: Leitfaden zum SOLID DSS
• A brief introduction in French: Manuel SOLID DSS

The model will serve both organic and low input farms as long as they depend mainly on on‐farm produced forages. Restrictions concerning external feeds for organic farms resulting from the EU directives can be considered in the DSS.

Despite simplifications the SOLID‐DSS provides a deeper understanding of the complex relationships and dependencies of sustainable organic and low input dairy systems. So, it is well-suited for agricultural extension, training and teaching.

Try the SOLID decision support system (SOLID DSS)

Before you run the simulation you need the following data: 

• Set your location and edit soil parameters
• Set the properties of your dairy herd
• Edit your rotation if you produce forage crops on arable land
• Set grassland and pasture availability
• Check your inputs  and finally run the simulation

Download: The SOLID DSS Manual in English