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EUROPEAN CENTRAL FORAGES DATABASES 7
The new databases will be available during 1997 for downloading from the IGER World
Wide Web site. 6 They can also be made available on CD-ROM. Smaller subsets of the data in
response to specific ad hoc requests may be available on floppy disk or by Email.
University of Southampton, UK - other Vicieae
Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton indicated that the database has not been updated and remains
in the same state as reported at the previous meeting in Bulgaria. This situation is due to
lack of funds for personnel to work on the database.
Nordic Gene Bank, Alnarp, Sweden - Phleum, Agrostis and Phalaris
Merja Veteläinen reported on the Phleum, Agrostis and Phalaris databases, maintained at the
Nordic Gene Bank, Alnarp, Sweden. The updating of Phleum, Phalaris and Agrostis databases
started in 1995 and is still ongoing. Information of some of the largest collections is not yet
included in the central databases. The database management system is dBase for Windows.
The Phleum database is already available on Internet and the Phalaris and Agrostis databases
will also be published on the Internet during 1997. 7 Databases can be delivered on diskettes
upon request. The Phleum database contains information from 19 institutes and for about
4200 accessions. In the Phalaris database information from eight institutions and 231
accessions is included. In both databases duplications and other gaps will be screened in the
database and this information will be delivered to the respective institutions. The Agrostis
database includes passport data from eight institutions and 271 accessions. The database
will be managed as the other central forage databases at the Nordic Gene Bank.
Since several mistakes were found among the data received from contributors, these will be sent to the
original database managers to make appropriate corrections. This exercise of correction is considered
to require 1 year before being completed.
Mechanisms for updating
Ian Thomas presented an overview of updating mechanisms in Central Crop Databases.
Institutes presenting data for inclusion in a Central Crop Database are not always aware of the
difficulties encountered by the CCDB manager in incorporating the new data set into the main
database. Using the Lolium CCDB as an example, this presentation discusses problems
encountered in obtaining, reconciling and interpreting new data. It also covers the use of
coded data fields and the automatic validation of data. Finally the question of unique
accession names is addressed and a suggestion made to help avoid future problems.
Opportunities for standardization
Petter Marum introduced a discussion on the possibility for further standardization of the
forages databases. In a former meeting of the Working Group on Forages in 1985, a
standardized format for the forages databases was adopted. In 1997 most of the databases
had a different structure. These differences make updating of the databases difficult. A
standardized format would make the updating of the databases easier. Petter Marum
presented a suggested descriptor list based on the FAO/IPGRI Multicrop Passport
Descriptors and the main descriptors used today in the different forages databases. He
suggested standardizing the data to the agreed structure before it is sent to the database
managers. He also noted the large variability in the environmental descriptors used in
IPGRI's descriptor lists, even within the forages, and suggested that a definitive IPGRI
Multicrop Environmental Descriptor list would be of great advantage.
6
At time of printing of the report the Lolium database is now loaded on the NGB server at
http://www/ngb.se/Databases/ECP/Lolium
7
At time of printing of the report these databases are available respectively at
http://www.ngb.se/Databases/ECP/Phleum
http://www.ngb.se/Databases/ECP/Phalaris
http://www.ngb.se/Databases/ECP/Agrostis