Paris, 5 July 2010


EFITA newsletter / 468 / European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


Seminar "Innovation and decision aid in agriculture: Which roles of research and which partnerships"
2 September 2010 - MONTPELLIER
During XIth ESA congress, AGRO2010 ”The Scientific International Week around Agronomy” (Montpellier, August 29 to September 3, 2010)
This symposium will illustrate and analyse how research in agronomy can contribute to a sustainable agricultural progress, in both African and European contexts, through various types of deliverables and through diverse modes of interaction between research, farmers and their organizations, extension services and agro industry. Part of this seminar will be experiences concerning some models and tools will be presented.
See : http://www.agropolis.fr/agro2010/programme/S4.htm
Contact: François BRUN
E-mail: francois.brun(a)acta.asso.fr


Seminar “Recent developments and perspectives in modelling for agricultural development”
7 September 2010 - PARIS
English seminar organized by the French Network on Modeling Agricultural System
See: http://www.modelia.org

To date, are confirmed the participation of:
* Lajpat Ahuja, researcher, USDA Fort Collins, specialized in modeling particularly for water management.
* Nicholas John Hutchings, researcher, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Denmark (Department of Agroecology and Environment, Research Centre Foulum). He is interested in modeling the flow of nitrogen in agricultural systems and the problem of scale changes when using these models.
* Jim Jones, Distinguished Professor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, University of Florida, specialized in modeling and using models for decision support and evaluation of cropping systems. He has authored or coauthored over 200 articles in journals with referees, he was a member of « Scientific Advisory Board of Global Environmental Change and Food Systems », he has served as chairman of the board of CIAT in Colombia.
* David Makowski, researcher, French National Institute for Agricultural Research (UMR Agronomie, Thiverval-Grignon). He is interested in applying statistical methods to models used in agronomy.

Preliminary program and inscription: http://www.modelia.org/moodle/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=53
Contact: François BRUN
E-mail: francois.brun(a)acta.asso.fr


1st International ICST Conference on e-services for Agriculture, Food, Environment and Life Sciences in Africa
9 – 10 September - JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
See: http://eafricaconference.org
Contact: George BARPAGIANNIS
E-mail: gbar80(a)gmail.com


5th International European Forum (Igls-Forum) on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks’ (www.fooddynamics.org)


which is scheduled for February 14-18, 2011 in Igls, a mountainous suburb of Innsbruck/Austria in the Alps.

We are looking forward to meeting previous participants and colleagues again and to establishing contacts with those who will be joining us for the first time. The Forum is well-known for its discussion and networking atmosphere and supports presentations, workshops and discussion groups.

The Forum is endorsed by major scientific associations in the field and provides room for presentations and discussions that cover a broad spectrum of issues and reflect the complexity of a (sustainable) food system development in a world of dynamically changing challenges and expectations.

A specific highlight of the 2011 Forum will focus on scenario developments and considerations.

Contact: Gerhard SCHIEFER
E-mail: schiefer(a)uni-bonn.de


Jewish proverb
A Jewish wife will forgive and forget, but she'll never forget what she forgave.


PhD studentship – Site Specific Land Management based on Proximal Soil Sensing
- Academic Supervisors: Dr Abdul MOUAZEN
- Co-supervisor: Dr Roland Corstanje
- Duration: Three years
- Start Date: ASAP
- Contact: Dr Abdul MOUAZEN (E-mail: a.mouazen(a)cranfield.ac.uk)

> Supported by the Douglas Bomford Trust and HGCA, a studentship up to £12,500 p.a. for 3 years plus fees* is available

> The project proposes to build a sensor fusion platform that gathers a Vis-NIR sensor together with electromagnetic induction (EMI) and capacitance sensors. Data output from these two proximal sensing systems will be combined with data obtained on topography, crop, weather and yield. Using advanced geo-statistical analysis, management zones of soil and crop will be delineated and utilised for site specific management of tillage and fertilisation, including organic and inorganic fertilisers.
See: http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/sas/aboutus/staff/mouazena.jsp
Contact : Abdul Mounem MOUAZEN
E-mail: a.mouazen(a)cranfield.ac.uk


Tour de France
As in previous years my website offers again all stages of the Tour de France 2010 on interactive Google maps.
See: http://www.2travel2.nl/Kaarten/
nieuw-alle-etappes-tour-de-france-gedetailleerd-op-google-maps.html


Perhaps there are EFITA members with a special interest for the Tour de France 2010. See all Tour de France 2010 maps on: http://www.2travel2.nl/Kaarten/Tour-de-France-2010/

Contact: René HUSKEN
E-mail: r.husken(a)geo-t.nl


DSpace
DSpace is the software of choice for academic, non-profit, and commercial organizations building open digital repositories. It is free and easy to install "out of the box" and completely customizable to fit the needs of any organization.

DSpace preserves and enables easy and open access to all types of digital content including text, images, moving images, mpegs and data sets. And with an ever-growing community of developers, committed to continuously expanding and improving the software, each DSpace installation benefits from the next.
See: http://www.dspace.org/about-dspace/introducing/


98 and no enemies - human interest story
All Human Being should live so long as to be this kind of old! I AGREE!

Toward the end of Sunday service, the Minister asked, "How many of you have forgiven your enemies?"

80% held up their hands.

The Minister then repeated his question. All responded this time, except one small elderly lady.

"Mrs. Neely, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?"

"I don't have any," she replied, smiling sweetly.

"Mrs. Neely, that is very unusual. How old are you?"'

"Ninety-eight," she replied.

The congregation stood up and clapped their hands.

"Mrs. Neely, would you please come down in front & tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years & not have an enemy in the world?"

The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said, "I outlived the bitches."


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