Training Program on
Computer Simulation of Crop Growth and Management Responses
June 1 - June 12, 1998
Athens, Georgia
Presented by
The University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
and
Georgia Center for Continuing Education
and
International Consortium for Agricultural Systems Applications
(ICASA)
Rationale
Today more than ever, increased food production depends on
judicious use of resources. Many soil, climatic, plant, and
management factors affect the way a crop will respond to
irrigation, fertilizer, and other management practices.
Determining appropriate crop management strategies under these
uncertainties has major economic and environmental implications.
Computer simulation models of the soil/crop/atmosphere system can
make a valuable contribution to both furthering our understanding
of the processes determining crop responses and predicting crop
performance in different areas. With the increasing
availability of personal computers, user-oriented simulation
models will greatly facilitate the task of optimizing crop and
nutrient management and deriving recommendations concerning crop
management. They also can be used to investigate environmental
and sustainability issues of agro-ecosystems. The University of
Georgia, in collaboration with the International Fertilizer
Development Center (IFDC), University of Florida, Michigan State
University, University of Hawaii, and International Consortium
for Agricultural Systems Applications (ICASA), has been at the
forefront in developing crop models and decision support systems
suitable for use and application in both developed - and
developing-country agriculture. The University of Georgia is
organizing this International Training Program on Computer
Simulation of Crop Growth and Management Responses at the Georgia
Center, Athens, Georgia, from June 1 - 12, 1998.
Program Objectives
In this training program participants will learn how a
comprehensive simulation model of crop growth and development and
water and nutrient dynamics is constructed and how it can be
applied to real world problems. Specifically, the program will
focus on:
- Operation of the new DSSAT v3.1 software.
- Description of the CERES and CROPGRO computer simulation
models.
- Data requirements and collection for systems simulation.
- Application of the simulation models to cropping,
environmental, and sustainability problems.
- Integration of the crop simulation models with database
management and geographic information systems.
Program Content
The program will describe the practical approaches to simulating
the effects of soil, climatic, management, and pest factors and
their interaction with the input needs of crops. The program
will demonstrate how the processes of crop growth and
development, water use, uptake of nutrients and response to
irrigation, fertilizer, and other management decisions can be
simulated. The program will make extensive use of "hands-on"
practical sessions on personal computers that demonstrate the
application of simulation models to cropping systems in various
regions of the world. Together with these applications, the
methods for assessing the economic risks and environmental real
world problems will be discussed. Procedures for managing soil,
crop, and weather data will be described.
The program will make extensive use of the CERES (maize, wheat,
rice, sorghum, barley, and millet), CROPGRO (peanut, soybean, dry
bean, chick pea, and tomato), SUBSTOR (potato), OILCROP
(sunflower), CANEGRO (sugar cane) and CROPSIM (cassava) models
for crop growth, development, and response to water and
nutrients. Techniques for simulation of synthetic weather
sequences will be described. Programs to create, run and analyze
both single season simulations and crop rotation simulations will
be explained. The crop simulation models, data preparation, and
application programs have been integrated into the new Decision
Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) v3.1 software
package. Participants will be provided with a complete copy of
DSSAT v3.1 software and users guides, as well as the book
"Understanding Options for Agricultural Production."
About the Training Workshop
The program will begin June 1 and end June 12 1998. It will be
held at the Georgia Center, University of Georgia, Athens,
Georgia, USA. International participants should plan to arrive 2
days before the program begins to adjust to time zone differences
and recover from travel fatigue. The University of Georgia is
located 112 kilometers from the Atlanta Hartsfield International
Airport which is served by most major carriers. Rental cars are
available at the airport. Athens may be reached by highways 29,
78, 129, 316, and 441; Interstate Highways I-85 and I-20 are
nearby. Commuter flights into the Athens Ben Epps Municipal
Airport are available via USAir. Regularly scheduled limousine
service between Hartsfield Airport and the Georgia Center is
available through AAA Airport Express for $45 per person round
trip. Please call 800-354-7874 for reservations.
Qualifications for Application
- Participants should be university graduates currently
engaged in crop production or agro-ecosystems related
research, teaching, outreach, or planning.
- They should have some understanding of soil and crop science
and be relatively familiar with the terminology used in
these fields. An in-depth knowledge is, however, not a
prerequisite.
- They should be familiar with DOS-based personal computers.
- They should be fluent in English.
REGISTRATION FEE
The fee for this training workshop is $1750. It covers the
registration for the 2-week program, resource material including
the DSSAT v3.1 software, tea/coffee breaks, and daily lunch. It
does not cover breakfast, dinner, and lodging during the program
nor air transportation and health insurance. Each participant is
responsible for these costs. Food and hotel lodging will average
about $80/day.
VISA REQUIREMENT
A visa is required for entry into the United States. Each
participant must obtain a visitor visa from the Embassy or
Consulate of the United States in his or her country of residence
and fulfill any required health formalities.
FACULTY
Dr. Gerrit Hoogenboom, The University of Georgia
Dr. K.J. Boote, University of Florida
Dr. L.A. Hunt, University of Guelph
Dr. J.W. Jones, University of Florida
Dr. P.W. Wilkens, International Fertilizer Development Center
. . . and other experts from IFDC, Agricultural University,
Wageningen, and ICASA
Direct Request for Workshop and Facilities Information To:
Margaret Caufield
Georgia Center for Continuing Education
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
Tel: (706) 542-5654; Fax: (706) 542-6465
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Direct Request for Program Information To:
Dr. Gerrit Hoogenboom
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
The University of Georgia
Griffin, Georgia 30223, USA
Tel: (770) 228-7216; Fax (770) 228-7218
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.bae.uga.edu/dept/research/cropsim/
Cosponsors
The University of Georgia
University of Florida
International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
International Consortium for Agricultural Systems Applications
(ICASA)
Four Ways to Register:
1. Mail: Computer Simulation of Crop Growth
Georgia Center for Continuing Education
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-3603, USA
2. FAX: (800) 884-1419
3. E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Reference Computer Simulation of Crop Growth.
4. Phone: (800) 884-1381
To guarantee enrollment, payment must be made with a purchase
order, check or credit card by May 1, 1998.
Enrollment is limited to 30 participants.
General Information
The Georgia Center for Continuing Education, a full-service
residential adult learning facility on the campus of The
University of Georgia, has as its mission to serve the learning
needs of adults and organizations and to provide leadership in
developing the theory and practice of continuing education.
The University of Georgia is an equal opportunity/affirmative
action institution.
Please note the following:
If you require special services, facilities, or dietary
considerations to support your participation in a Georgiaa
Center program, contact your coordinator identified in this
brochure.
Please refer to the information below for details about
cancellation procedures and responsibilities.
The Georgia Center is a smoke-free environment.
Lodging
The Georgia Center provides a variety of accomodations - some
suites may be available. The Georgia Center offers standard
rooms with two twin-size beds or one queen-size bed or more
spacious preferred rooms similarly furnished. Please indicate
your lodging preference in the appropriate space on the
Registration Form. Sales tax will be added to quoted rates.
A block of rooms is being held for your conference until three
weeks prior to the starting date. Indicate your lodging
preference in the appropriate space on the registration form. If
this is unavailable, the best alternative will be confirmed. If
lodging at the Georgia Center is unavailable, we will make every
effort to arrange for your accomodations at a local hotel. Room
rates at local hotels may vary. Hotel reservation guarantees are
required at the Georgia Center and local hotels. Your credit
card will be charged one night's lodging if you do not cancel by
6:00 p.m. the day before your arrival date. Reservations
received by May 15, 1998 will be confirmed in writing.
Other
Transportation:
Information on transportation and parking will be provided with
your confirmation.
Program Cancellation Policies:
(1) The Georgia Center will gladly issue full refunds for
cancellations made at least 72 hours before conference
registration begins. No refunds will be issued thereafter.
Substitutions are encouraged. Pre-registrants who fail to attend
or to send a substitue are liable for the full registration fee.
To cancel a pre-registration, call (706) 542-2134.
(2) In the event a program is cancelled for any reason, the
Georgia Center will not be responsible for any cancellation
changes/charges assessed by airlines or travel agencies.
Please return to:
Computer Simulation of Crop Growth 35991
Georgia Center for Continuing Education
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602-3603
(706) 542-2134 or FAX: (706) 542-6596
(800) 884-1381 or FAX: (800) 884-1419
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Gerrit Hoogenboom
Associate Professor
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
The University of Georgia
Griffin, Georgia 30223-1797, USA
Phone: 770-229-3438 (New !)
Fax: 770-228-7218
E-mail: [log in to unmask] (New !)
http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/bae
http://www.bae.uga.edu/dept/faculty/gerrit/
http://www.bae.uga.edu/dept/research/cropsim/
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