PTFIndicator: An IRENE_DLL-based application to evaluate estimates from pedotransfer functions by integrated indices

Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are physical–mathematical models which allow estimating soil hydraulic properties from soil data. In the absence of direct measurements, they represent a valuable tool for providing agro-ecological models with soil input estimations, whose accuracy is currently a key issue, especially in field- and regional-scale modelling which rely on soil information databases. The class library IRENE_DLL (Integrated Resources for Evaluating Numerical Estimates – Dynamic Link Library) is a repository of statistical methods and procedures designed to properly handle comparisons between model estimates and actual measurements. A distinct feature is the support for developing integrated evaluation indices based on a two-stage, fuzzy-based approach. We implemented this approach into PTFIndicator, a Microsoft Excel application based on IRENE_DLL, to evaluate the performance of PTFs. This paper introduces the overall functioning of the application, and briefly discusses one relevant worked example.