VALIDATION OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERT SYSTEMS

The methodology of expert systems as decision support aids in agriculture is undergoing rapid evolution. Questions of how to assess the appropriateness of these systems for their intended purposes and how much refinement to carry out have not yet been adequately addressed. While it is sometimes possible to compare the output of an expert system against that of a human expert, many practical difficulties can arise; also, this may not be a meaningful comparison if the expert system has access to different information to the human expert. Some of the evaluation procedures for farming systems models, as well as some of the pitfalls of these procedures, are relevant to the testing of expert systems. Judgement of the market place will be an important component of system evaluation.