Hello,
I have a question about the data standards developed by IBSNAT.  On the
DSSAT web page there is an example of ICASA files with codes for an overall
file (http://icasanet.org/standards/append1.html).
         Does this example file contain all of the information needed to
run the DSSAT 3.5 crop models or is this file only appropriate to DSSAT 4.0?

         If the above example file is appropriate for DSSAT 3.5 where are
the simulation controls entered?

         If the above example is only approriate for DSSAT 4.0 does anyone
have a complete experiment file, soil file, and all other file that they
could send me along with a complete list of all codes that are appropriate
for 3.5?

The example files included with DSSAT 3.5 (EX: Swsw7501.whx, Ksas8101.whx,
etc...) do not have some aspects of some of the experiment files (I suppose
because in some cases it is not appropriate).  In addition these experiment
files contain codes that are not listed in the DSSAT 3 V:1-4 books.  I
apologize if I am missing something.  Also:

         How strict are the formatting requirements for these ASCII files
that are used in running the models (Ex:  alignment of data under codes,
spacing between codes and data, etc...)?

         If it is strict is there documentation that describes the rules?

I need this information because I am working on creating a program that
writes data stored in a database to ASCII files that can be used to run
DSSAT 3.5 models.  I would like to make this general so that any model
using IBSNAT data standards could use this program so I would like to know
all the rules etc...  Thank you very much for any help.

Derek McNamara



Derek McNamara
Graduate Research Assistant
Mountain Research Center, Montana State University
P.O. Box 173490, 106 AJM Johnson Hall
Bozeman, MT 59717-3490, USA
406-994-5073
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