Metadata of an experimental dataset available at IDE

Background

Development, evaluation and, application of cropping system models (CSMs) require multiple types of data. Cropping system data sets can often be used multiple times by different groups of modelers and experimentalists around the globe. However, for various reasons, data sets are often underutilized while at the same time, lack of data creates a bottleneck for many modeling efforts. In an effort to increase utilization of cropping system data, the International Consortium for Agricultural Systems Applications (ICASA) has developed an internet-based system, the ICASA Data Exchange (IDE), that provides a convenient forum for documenting, archiving, and exchanging cropping system experiment and/or weather data sets. Users of the IDE can enter metadata that describe their data sets, upload their data set files, edit their entries, search for data using specific criteria, browse metadata of data sets in the system, and download data sets from the system. The purpose of this paper is to present the functional design and implementation of this system.

Current Status of IDE

As of March 2012, 59 experiment and 4weather datasets submitted by ICASA members are still available for access, but no new datasets are accepted. Non-members of ICASA can only view metadata of the datasets; contact information for the data holders are available for each dataset.

Reference

Bostick, W.M., J. Koo, V.K. Walen, J.W. Jones, and G. Hoogenboom. 2004. A web-based data exchange system for crop model applications. Agronomy Journal 96(3):853-856. (Full text available at Agronomy Journal)