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Information Technology
Information sharing is
critical to the success of agricultural research and development, so ICARDA
has been taking an active role in developing the capacities of NARS in the
use of information technologies.
In 1998, EARO requested ICARDA’s help in producing
a comprehensive information technology development plan. Scientists and technical
staff from ICARDA carried out a detailed study involving interviews with key
scientists at EARO’s headquarters and its various research stations,
and then proposed an Information Technology Strategy for 1999-2003.
The strategy recommended that a local-area computer
network be established in each of EARO’s major research stations and
that the local-area network in EARO headquarters be upgraded with new servers,
graphic workstations, personal computers, and printers. A wide-area computer
network linking all local-area networks in EARO headquarters and at its research
stations was proposed to give users access to common databases and computing
resources, and to allow electronic communication between staff members. Internet
access was also recommended, as was establishment of an EARO-wide Intranet
to serve as the main information conduit.
EARO began implementing the plan with the help of
a loan from the World Bank. ICARDA staff designed the local-area network in
EARO’s headquarters, and a networking engineer from ICARDA’s Computer
and Biometric Services Unit participated in its installation and commissioning,
including installation of equipment, switches, fiber optic cables, fiber to
twisted pair converters, and network cards.
Now EARO has an advanced computer network (100 Mbit/sec)
with a backbone of fiber optic and twisted pair cables, advanced switches
and highly reliable nodes, and has plans to connect with 32 research stations
via V-Sat.
Use of geographic information systems and remote-sensing
tools was also given priority, especially for natural resource management
research, and crop-modeling capability was to be developed to support all
aspects of research.
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