GIS Database - GRASP Grain Research Agronomy System Project
GRASP Grain Research Agronomy System Project is coordinated by Chris Wooding, a GIS expert based in Ontario and Sharon Rempel, a heritage horticulture and agriculture specialist living in Victoria BC.
We are creating a database that we hope will be a way of accessing information and seed. Seed growing conditions and quality merit criteria will be matched. This helps people access seed varieties that should be adaptable for various growing conditions as climate change happens region to region.
Instead of locking away seed in a vault in a mountain we are creating a virtual gene bank of seed and knowledge for all people. Everyone will have access to a key to this database not just a few select corporations. We feel that the genetic resources of seed belong to people, not corporations.
We have started with wheat and grains but are also interestsed in all food related crops that are suitable for organic agriculture conditions. We are contacting libraries that are digitizing records and hope to have a large number of collaborators involved in creating this innovative Web 2 style database.
Chris has integrating soil maps, climate data, historic agriculture information and crop variety quality and terroir into a GIS database.
We are working in a participatory fashion and seeking input, adviceand participation for all types of user groups including the Canadian Gene Bank, organic farmer organizations and researchers.
Goals of the project:
- identify fields where grains have grown in the past and present
- identify the variety of the crop, the soil type, soil fertility, soil microbiology and climate data for that growing season
- assist in the development of local food grain communities
- link growers, millers and bakers
- establish a suitability model for grains in various bioregions
- assist in variety and farmer local food branding and value chain development
Rationale for the project:
We know that we need to conserve agricultural biodiversity in the field. We know there are hundreds of varieties that grow well without high inputs of chemicals. Many of these old varieties have resistance to diseases and seed can be saved year to year.
We know that a growing number of people want to use 'heritage' varieties of wheat like 'Red Fife' wheat or 'emmer'. But not all varieties grow well in all regions.
What if we could help people find varieties of crops that have a very good chance of THRIVING not just surviving in their field or garden?
People have been experimenting with different varieties for centuries. What if we could integrate the historic crop information with the climate information and soil type when the data was collected?
Then take the GPS coordinates and put that into a 'what should I grow' database with the type of crop (e.g. 'oats'). A list of varieties of oat that have done well in similar growing conditions would pop up.
With today's technology we should be able to integrate all these variables into a searchable system.
Contact Chris Wooding cic@islandnet.com
Contact Sharon Rempel slrempel@shaw.ca