Development of a Strategy of an Optimal Economic Management
for Semi-intensive Shrimp Farming by Means of FIR
Introduction
This project represents one of the earliest practical applications
of
FIR methodology. In the North of Mexico, in the provinces of
Sonora and Sinaloa, shrimp is grown in semi-intensive farming. The
animals should grow as rapidly as possible, so that the farmers can
maximize their profit. However, growth of the shrimp depends on a
number of variables, including the frequency, with which the animals
are being fed, the salinity of the water in the ponds, the transparency
of the water, the water temperature, as well as the population density.
Although it is well known that these relations exist, no theory has been
brought forward that would be capable of quantifying them. For this reason,
shrimp farming represents an excellent application of a qualitative
inductive modeling technique, such as FIR.
Our first task consisted of identifying a FIR model that would
qualitatively capture the relations between the growth of shrimp
and the influencing variables mentioned above. The aim of the model was
to make the growth of shrimp somewhat predictable.
Subsequently, an optimization problem had to be solved that should
determine, when and how often the animals ought to be fed, and when and
how often the water ought to be changed, such that the profit of the farmers
is maximized.
The competition between shrimp farmers is fierce, and therefore, the profit
is relatively modest. Yet, by applying FIR methodology, it was possible to
more than double the profit of the farmers.
Most Important Publications
- Carvajal, R. and A. Nebot (1998),
"Growth Model for White Shrimp in Semi-intensive Farming
Using Inductive Reasoning Methodology",
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture,
19, pp.187-210.
- Nebot, A., F.E. Cellier, and R. Carvajal,
"Fuzzy Inductive Reasoning for Variable Selection, Analysis,
and Modeling of Biological Systems",
Intl. J. General Systems, 27p., accepted for publication.
Sponsors
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT)
- "El Remolino" shrimp farm, Sinaloa Mexico
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Last modified: July 14, 2005 -- © François Cellier