The ICASA Data Dictionary describes approximately 1200 variables related to field experiments. Categories include metadata, crop management, measured crop and soil traits, soil profile descriptions, and daily weather data. These variables underly the ICASA data standards, which evolved in part from the terminology used in DSSAT. The IDD is accessible on GitHub at: https://github.com/DSSAT/ICASA-Dictionary
Recent major changes in the IDD include:
- Making CSV files the default format for viewing within GitHub.
- Adding a unique record identifier for each variable.
- Removing many identifiers that were not really a part of the standard.
Looking ahead, a major thrust is to develop data entry templates and software tools that would allow researchers to record field data in a semi-standardized spreadsheet format. By using ICASA variables and the underlying ICASA data architecture whenever possible, the datasets would be easier to:
- Review for possible deficiencies or errors (quality assurance).
- Convert to crop modeling formats such as used by DSSAT.
- Publish as stand-alone datasets.
At least three research initiatives are developing data templates using the IDD. Efforts are also underway to use artificial intelligence to extract data from journal articles using the IDD to standardize the exported data.
We encourage the DSSAT community to contribute to the IDD via the GitHub site.
