Getting started with FOCUS_PELMO

valid for FOCUS_PELMO_3.3.2 Back

How PELMO works

PELMO.EXE runs under Microsoft DOS. However, to make editing and creating of PELMO input files easier in a Microsoft Windows environment, a shell called WPELMO.EXE was built around PELMO.EXE.

The information necessary to run PELMO.EXE is divided in a number of input data files. The shell WPELMO.EXE allows creating or editing of these files by the user. For each simulation a single pesticide data file (extension: PSM), a single scenario data file (extension: SZE) and a number of climate data files (extension: CLI) are necessary. For FOCUS-tier 1 -simulations only the pesticide data file has to be created by the user himself; the scenario and climate data files are already defined and should not be modified.

File handling between the simulation program PELMO.EXE and the shell WPELMO.EXE

Before the user starts a PELMO simulation the scenario (location and crop, possibly irrigation) and the pesticide data file has to be set. The required scenario and climate input data files (*.cli and *.sze) are automatically selected by the shell and written into a small ASCII file called PELMO.INP. This file will be read by the simulation program PELMO.EXE (see the figure).

The file HAUDE.DAT contains the monthly Haude-factors. This information is not used for FOCUS-simulations. However, the file must be in the FOCUS-directory of PELMO.

During the simulation PELMO.EXE creates a number of output files all with the extension “PLM” :

After a PELMO simulation has been successfully performed the annual average concentrations at 1 m depth and at the soil bottom are calculated by WPELMO.EXE based on the results stored in WASSER.PLM (hydrology output), CHEM.PLM (pesticide output) and CHEM_xx (metabolite output). WPELMO also creates the files MBALANCE.PLM and PBALANCE.PLM that contain the total annual mass balances for water (MPBALANCE:PLM) and for the pesticide/metabolites (PBALANCE.PLM).

System Requirements

Installing MACRO

For the complete installation of FOCUS-PELMO you have to download FOCUS_PELMO_3.3.2.exe, then :
  1. run FOCUS_PELMO_3.3.2.exe
  2. run setup.exe (in the directory c:\focuspelmo\install)
  3. run scenario.exe (in the directory c:\focuspelmo)
  4. call wpelmo (the focuspelmo shell)
Please consider that FOCUS PELMO expects the decimal point for numbers (not the comma). So, please check, that the point is selected as decimal separator on your computer before running simulations with FOCUSPELMO.

After a successful installation the shell can be started by double clicking on WPELMO.EXE in the application directory or by starting any shortcut to WPELMO.EXE. Further information is given in the file “shell description.exe” that can also be downloaded here.

The FOCUSPELMO may be uninstalled using first the standard WIN95 uninstall tools provided in the “Control Panel” under “Add/Remove Programs”. In the second step you have to delete the FOCUSPELMO-directory manually.

Technical Support

See Ask a Question / Report a Problem

Excerpt of existing model documentation related to FOCUS Groundwater