ECOCROP 1 - The adaptability level of the FAO  crop environmental requirements database

The information in Ecocrop 1 permits the identification of 1710 plant species whose most important climate and soil requirements match the information on soil and climate entered by the user. It also permits the identification of plant species for defined uses. It can be used as a library of crop environmental requirements and it can provide plant species attribute files on crop environmental requirements to be compared with soil and climate maps in Agro-ecological zoning (AEZ) databases or Geographical Information System (GIS) map-based display.

What can you do with ECOCROP 1 ?

• Identify suitable crop or tree species for a specified environment.
  Enter information about your local climate and soil conditions, such as temperature, rainfall, light soil texture, depth, pH, salinity and fertility. Ecocrop 1 then identifies the plant species with key climate and soil requirements that match the data you have entered.
• Identify crop or tree species for a defined use.
  Specify one or more use(s) and Ecocrop 1 identifies according to your choice plant species for food, fodder or pasture, green manure, energy, fibre, timber, paper pulp, shelter and shade, industrial purposes, erosion control, ornamentals and many other uses.
• Be a library of crop environmental requirements.
  You can use Ecocrop 1 as a check list or library to look up the optimum and minimum- maximum ranges of crop environmental requirements for 1710 species.

How to use ECOCROP 1

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

To run the ECOCROP 1 software you will need a computer using MS-DOS ver. 2.1 or later, at least 640 K of RAM and at least 7.5 Mb hard disk space

ECOCROP 2 - The response level of the FAO  crop environmental requirements database

The database in Ecocrop 2 is designed as a library of studies on crop responses in relation to environmental and management factors. The program is created to provide information for crop modelling and at the same time as a tool for scientists to organise and retrieve their own specific information on plant species of interest to them. At present the database holds information on a number of varieties for 20 crops of world-wide importance. Each crop file contains on average 200-220 separate crop environment al response studies or data sets extracted from 40-50 sources. After selecting certain environmental or management factors and crop responses, such as yield, biomass production or photosynthesis rate, of interest, the information contained in the database can be illustrated on the screen in the form of response curves or it can be written out in statistical form.

• Find environmental and management response information on 20 crop species of world wide importance
• Use the information for crop modelling and graph the datasets
• Store, organize and retreive your own crop response information

How to use ECOCROP 2

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

To run the ECOCROP 2 software you will at least need a computer using Windows 3.11 or later and at least 11 Mb hard disk space

The CD-ROM can be ordered by writing to
Sales and Marketing Group
Information Division
FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla,
00100 Rome, Italy
Fax : +39 06 5705 3360
Publications-sales@fao.org

For all further technical information queries can be directed to
Wolfgang Prante
Land and Water Development Division
FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla,
00100 Rome, Italy
wolfgang.prante@fao.org

More info on the CD-ROM