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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #172629
Title: ICARDA AGROCLIMATOLOGICAL TOOL CDROM

Author
item Mauget, Steven
item DEPAUW, EDDY - INTL CENTER FOR AG RESEAR

Submitted to: Laboratory Publication
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/18/2004
Publication Date: 11/18/2004
Citation: MAUGET, S.A., DEPAUW, E. 2004. ICARDA AGROCLIMATOLOGICAL TOOL [CD-ROM]. BETA 2.1. LUBBOCK, TEXAS: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ARS.

Interpretive Summary: The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is an agricultural research laboratory in Aleppo, Syria. That laboratory's region of responsibility extends from northwest Africa, across the Middle East, and into central Asia. Those areas are marked by considerable climate diversity, but very little quality climate information is available to ICARDA's plant breeders. Here, a Windows-based computer program is introduced that will provide those end-users with that information. The database from which the program derives climate information was derived from the meteorological records of ~ 650 weather stations. From that data the software's graphical user interface presents climate statistics at user-entered latitude-longitude coordinates, calculated over arbitrarily defined periods within summer or winter growing seasons. The statistics reported include the probability distribution of cumulative rainfall, the probability that minimum and maximum daily temperatures will exceed user-defined temperature thresholds, the probability of dry periods of varying duration, and the probability of heat and cold stress periods of varying duration. By providing information about climatic stress during critical periods of the growing season, this application may be an important tool in developing crop varieties that are basically 'designed' for the climate conditions of the ICARDA mandate area.

Technical Abstract: The mandate area of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) extends from northwest Africa to central Asia and is marked by considerable climate diversity, but very little quality climate information is available to plant breeders and agricultural decision makers. Here, a beta-version Windows-based PC application is introduced that will provide those end-users with that information. The database from which the application derives climate information required the generation of weather generator parameters from the station data of ~ 650 meteorological stations. From those parameters the software's graphical user interface presents climate statistics at user-entered latitude-longitude coordinates, calculated over arbitrarily defined periods within summer or winter growing seasons. The statistics reported include the probability of exceedance of both cumulative rainfall and growing degree days, the probability that minimum and maximum daily temperatures will exceed user-defined temperature thresholds, the probability of dry periods of varying duration, and the probability of heat and cold stress periods of varying duration. By providing information regarding climatic stress during critical periods of the growing season, this application may be an important tool in developing cultivars that are optimally suited to the ICARDA region's specific climate conditions.