Colleagues,

    An update of the ICASA data standards has been completed, and a
description of the updated standards, together with example ASCII files,
has been posted on the ICASA web site (www.icasa.net).  The standards are
based on the earlier IBSNAT standards, with emphasis on eliminating some
inconsistencies and ambiguities and on making them useable not only in
ASCII format but also in relational database and XML formats. It is
expected that they will replace the DSSAT standards for both experimental
documentation and specifying conditions for running simulation models.

    As yet, tools are not available for inputting data into ASCII files or
relational databases conforming to the standards. Until such tools become
available, users can use a standard text editor to modify a set of
existing ASCII files to accommodate new experiments or simulation
conditions. A set of example files is posted on the website, but shortly
these will be complemented with further sets dealing with real experiments
on the ICASA Data Exchange site. It is intended to post in this form the
datasets aggregated by the former Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems
Project (Dependent of course on the owners consent).

    Similarly, simulation models that can read the new standard files are
not yet widely available. The Cropsim model can read both the old DSSAT
files and the new ICASA files, and interested users could obtain a copy of
this from one of the senders (LAH) of this note. However, work is underway
to develop a version of the Cropping System Model that is included in
DSSAT V4 (which includes a module from Cropsim) that will run on both the
old DSSAT files and the new ICASA files. Users may prefer to await the
completion of this work. In time, it is hoped that all models listed on
the ICASA web site will be able to run using the new ICASA standards, and
that a wide number of tools will be ICASA compatible..

Best regards,
L.A.Hunt, G.Hoogenboom, J.White


PS Apologies for cross postings