The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC),in collaboration with the International Consortium for Agricultural Systems Applications (ICASA) and several other institutions, will host a training program on DSSAT Version 4.5 on May 9-19, 2011, in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA. The overall goal of this training program is to familiarize participants with the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) and the Cropping System Model (CSM) for the simulation of crop growth and yield, soil and plant water, nutrient and carbon dynamics, and the application of models to real-world problems.

Specifically the program will focus on:

* Operation of the Windows-based DSSAT Version 4.5 software.
* Description of the DSSAT- CSM and its modules, such as CROPGRO and CERES, and the science embedded in the models.
* Minimum data requirements and experimental data collection for systems simulation.
* Integration of crop simulation models with database management and Geographical Information Systems.
* Application of the DSSAT-CSM model to improve management of cropping systems.

This training program is designed for agronomists, soil scientists, meteorologists and economists from national and international agricultural research institutes and universities, as well as policy-makers in charge of agricultural productivity and planning.

Participants should:

*Be university graduates currently engaged in crop production or agro-ecosystems-related research, teaching, extension, outreach or planning.
* Have some understanding of crop and soil science and be relatively familiar with the terminology used in these fields. An in-depth level of knowledge, however, is not a prerequisite.
* Be familiar with personal computers and the Windows operating environment.
* Understand English.

The training program will:

* Describe a practical approach for simulating effects of soil, weather, management and pest factors on crop production.
* Demonstrate how processes of crop growth and development, water use, uptake of water and nutrients and carbon dynamics can be simulated.
* Make extensive use of "hands-on" sessions that apply the DSSAT-CSM model to cropping systems in various regions of the world.
* Describe procedures for collecting and managing crop, weather and soil data for model evaluation.
* Give participants the opportunity to work with their own data and determine the accuracy of the models for application to specific problems.
* Analyze management alternatives for single seasons or over long-term crop rotations.
* Concentrate on specific applications that include irrigation, fertilizer and nutrient management, climate change, soil carbon sequestration, climate variability and precision management.
* Assess economic risks and environmental impacts associated with agricultural production.

The program fee for this training course is US $1,500 per participant. This fee is due with enrollment but no later than April 9, 2011. A non-refundable deposit of US $200 is required with each registration. The deposit will be credited toward the program fee, which is due four weeks before the program is scheduled. Thereafter, a Late Fee in the amount of US $200 will apply.

The program fee covers registration, training and reference material (the DSSAT v4.5 software and the book Understanding Options for Agricultural Production), coffee/tea breaks, all lunches and surface transportation related to field trips. The fee does not include costs of participants' air travel expenses from their home country to the United States and return or any air travel within the United States, lodging and meal expenses (beyond lunches as stated above), medical and/or communications expenses.

For more information, please contact

Director
Training and Workshop Coordination Unit
IFDC
P.O. Box 2040
Muscle Shoals, Alabama 35662, U.S.A.
Telephone: +1 (256) 381-6600
Telefax: +1 (256) 381-7408
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]

For technical information on course content, contact Paul Wilkens ([log in to unmask]).

To register, please visit

http://www.ifdc.org/Training/DSSAT_2011_International_Training_Program