SIMBA : a comprehensive model for agro-ecological assessment and prototyping of banana-based cropping systems. An application in the French West Indies

Monospecific banana (Musa spp., AAA group, cv. Cavendish Grande Naine) based cropping systems may present important threats to the environment. In these agro-systems, pesticides cause significant risks of pollution for surface and ground water, enhanced in the tropical insular conditions of French West Indies. In order to assess these risks and to help the design of more sustainable cropping systems a specific model called SIMBA was built. SIMBA simulates banana cropping systems through several cropping cycles. SIMBA includes sub-models that simulate soil structure, water balance, root nematode populations, yield, economic outputs, etc. Agri-environmental indicators linked to the model allow environmental assessment. The model is used in Guadeloupe and allows practical recommendations to farmers, virtual test of agro-technological innovations or field management strategies. (Résumé d'auteur