Hi Frits, I agree that this issue deserves great priority! At CIMMYT I had constructed an Access database to output information via Excel for CERES-Maize. CIMMYT are also developing large plant breeding databases that include provision for storage and output of data for model purposes. We already have versions of databases that do exactly what you are suggesting (logbook style with experimental design and calendar etc.) and interface to APSIM simulation models at APSRU. Russel Muchow and colleagues at CSIRO developed Sugarbag to consolidate info for sugar research and we are now working on a sorghum version of the database. These databases can be adapted to output in formats for DSSAT style models also and can also be used to store different crops if necessary. APSRU are working on a more complete database system that is in a more prototype stage. (I've written a conference paper (bit boring though!) about these database issues on my WWW page at: http://www.uq.edu.au/~agschapm/papers/confer/sorg96/sordbase.htm see the paper for refs to Sugarbag database) This issue has been ignored for a long time and deserves to be remedied properly... cheers, scott c. At 10:55 22/02/96 -0600, you wrote: >This is in response to Carlos P. Caldeira's message of 21 Feb. > >The information contained in the DSSAT files is organized well enough = >that it would not require great effort to transfer it to a formal = >relational database. To my mind, though, the real challenge for someone = >interested in databases for applications in agriculture, is to develop = >of a data model that is complete enough to capture all information that = >relates to agronomic experiments. The DSSAT file system captures the = >summary information that is most relevant to modelers, but it fails to = >capture the rest. > >An ideal database would allow storage of the entire experiment protocol = >(goal, objectives, design, implementation, methods of measurement and = >instrumentation) and all raw data. In other words, it should be = >possible to enter - in a structured manner! - into the database all = >information that traditionally is entered into the experiment logbook. > >If anybody has plans to work in this area, or has made some progress = >already, I would be interested to hear about it. > >Regards, > >Frits van Evert > >University of Minnesota >Dept. Soil, Water and Climate >St. Paul, MN 55108, USA > > Dr.S.C.Chapman /^\ -- Agricultural Production Systems Research Unit (APSRU) / ??> --- c/o Department of Agriculture / ? ?> ----- University of Queensland / ? > ------ Brisbane, QLD 4072 / __ ? > ------ AUSTRALIA / {sc} > ------ email: [log in to unmask] / _ \/ > ---- or [log in to unmask] / _//(%%) > --- WWW: http://www.uq.oz.au/~agschapm/ /___ / /__> -- ph: +61-7-336-53447/52165 __________/_____/_/_________ .... fax: +61-7-336-51177 \