Dear Dr. Gerrit  and other ICASA family,

First of all, thank you very much putting the minutes of the ICASA Forum to all clients of the ICASA list server.  It is really great to know the ongoing developments in the field of simulation modeling and particularly to know the new effort of APSRU group, which farmers can operate APSIM model.  Really, it is wonderful.  

With regards

Subash

N. Subash
Scientist (Agricultural Meteorology)
ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region
WALMI Complex
Phulwari Sharif P.O.
Patna 801 505
Bihar, India


On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 Gerrit Hoogenboom wrote :
>ICASA Forum at the 4th International Crop Science Congress
>Brisbane, Australia
>September 28, 2004
>
>An information exchange forum was held during the Fourth International Crop
>Science Congress in Brisbane, Australia on September 28, 2004. The purposes
>of this two-hour meeting were to introduce ICASA to participants of this
>congress, to have different groups report on recent advances in models,
>data, and other systems application tools, and to encourage participation
>in ICASA. Forty-eight people attended the meeting, including 3 Board
>members (Brian Keating, Claudio Stockle, and Jim Jones). A list of
>attendees is attached.
>
>Jim Jones presented an overview of ICASA to the attendees (attached
>powerpoint file) and encouraged them to visit the ICASA home page
>(icasa.net) to learn more about it and how to join. Following this
>overview, several reports were given.
>
>Jim Hansen of the IRI in New York announced the availability of daily
>weather data from thousands of weather stations worldwide, in ICASA format,
> from his institution. This will also be announced on the ICASA web site,
>with a link to the IRI site where the data can be downloaded in ICASA
>format. This format is described at the icasa.net website. Jim Jones
>pointed out that there are also efforts to develop soil data files for crop
>model use in Africa that could be made available. Gerrit Hoogenboom and
>Phil Thornton are contacts for this work.
>
>Brian Keating and Michael Robertson of APSRU in Australia described recent
>advances in their APSIM model development and emphasized their support for
>ICASA as a forum for information exchange and cooperation. They also
>emphasized the applications of APSIM in Australia, including a new effort
>in which farmers can operate this model, and internationally, which is
>about 20% of their effort.
>
>Claudio Stockle reported on new developments in the CROPSYST cropping
>system model, emphasizing the importance of object-oriented design for
>flexibility and applications. He also indicated that the CROPGRO model from
>DSSAT had been incorporated into a new version of CROPSYST, via cooperation
>with the Florida DSSAT group.
>
>Tom Gerik of Texas A&M University reported on recent applications of the
>EPIC and associated models from Temple, Texas group. Their work is
>increasingly emphasizing spatial applications at farm and watershed scales.
>
>Ken Boote of the University of Florida reported that DSSAT version 4.0 has
>been released and has already been used in several training programs. He
>also pointed out that the cropping system model in DSSAT, with the CERES
>and CROPGRO models, was being enhanced by a number of different researchers
>to include other crops (e.g. cotton, bahia grass pastures), tillage, and
>phosphorus. Updates on these developments will be made available via the
>ICASA web site.
>
>In a discussion that followed, Colin Birch pointed out the need for
>graduates trained in the use of cropping system models and wondered if
>there were any education programs addressing this need at undergraduate as
>well as graduate levels. No one in attendance knew of any undergraduate
>initiative to introduce crop modeling and model applications into their
>curricula. Jim Jones pointed out that the Dutch systems scientists from
>Wageningen Agricultural University have been leaders in educating students
>and postgraduates on models and systems analysis methods. Unfortunately, no
>one from Wageningen attended the meeting. Other groups, like the University
>of Florida, have been training graduate students. However, the success of
>various programs worldwide seems to be creating an increased demand for
>graduates knowledgeable in this field, and our educational institutions
>seem to be lagging behind in providing graduates.
>
>After a general discussion, Jim Jones announced that an ICASA meeting will
>be held in Seattle at the American Society of Agronomy meeting in November
>and adjourned the meeting.