Under leadership of CT de Wit a large amount of modeling, building
prototypes and also application, was carried out in the 1970s and 1980s.
Comprehensive models were built, evaluated and carefully documented in
the areas of crop growth production, plant breeding, soil water and
nutrients, and in crop protection. Simulation techniques and biophysical
theories developed in parallel. Simulation and experimentation always
went hand in hand. Much of this work is documented in a long series of
PhD theses under supervision of De Wit, in the series of Simulation
Monographs (PUDOC), and in numerous other publications. This work has
inspired many scientists across the global science community. The CT de
Wit Graduate School of Production Ecology (PE) of the Wageningen
University builds further on this platform and finds new subjects for
research on and with models, and data. The PE platform provides also an
excellent opportunity to develop contacts, cooperation and joint
software with research groups in related fields and abroad. This book
precipitates from such an exploration in new directions. We realize that
modem information systems and statistics can offer a substantial
contribution to the modelling framework. Good examples can be found
here, and these provide a clear direction for the years to come.