History - major achievements
In 1970 a Department of Computation was founded at the IUNG. Its main
task was analysis of the results of field experiments conducted in
ZDUNGs (Soil, Fertilization and Cultivation Experimental Stations) and
at the regional network of experimental sations. Henryk Nadzieja, MSc,
was appointed as Head of the Department, which at that time was
equipped with a GEO-2 machine (manufactured by Warsaw Polytechnic). The
Department had 8 persons of staff.
In 1972 the name of the Department was changed to the Department of
Electronic Computational Technology with Erazm Działoszyński, MSc, as
Head. In the Department an ODRA-1325 computer had been installed (in
1974) and the number of staff grew to 25. Since the new machine had no
software dedicated to special jobs it was the task of the crew to
develop a library of programs for statistical analysis of results from
all experiments conducted at the IUNG. This had been achieved in a few
years.
In 1976 Prof. Jerzy Krzymuski was appointed Head of Department. The
unit changed the status from services to science-and-services, which
was also reflected in its new name: Department of Methodology of
Experiments and Informatics. Two laboratories had been created:
Laboratory of Methods of Experiments and Applied Informatics with
Krystyna Filipiak, MSc, as Head and Laboratory of Applied Informatics
with Bogusław Pietraś, MSc, as Head. The Computation Division was
headed by Erazm Działoszyński, MSc. This organizational structure
persisted till 1987.
The fundamental mission of the Department continued to be computational
services and statistical analysis of results from experiments as well
as verification of documentation sheets from experiments conducted at
ZDUNGs. Parallel to the services research was carried out into
regionalization of staple crops, progress in field crop varieties as
well as field-experiment methods and application of informatics. The
focus was on implementation of new statistical methods, new
experimental methods and numerical processing of data.
Apart
from typically statistical programs, numerous application programs were
created at that time in co-operation with other scientific departments.
Of these Valuation of Production Agricultural Space, Programmed
Recommendations for Fertilisation and Optimisation of Cropping Systems
were the most important. The SYGRODAN system for data collection was
developed, in which the following databases were created: a database on
sample farms (830 farms from all the country), a database on weed
infestation of crops and a database of results from the farms taking
advantage of the Programmed Recommendations for Fertilisation system.
After Prof. J. Krzymuski had left in 1987, the Department was changed
into Division of Informatics and Experimental Methodology with Czesław
Pietruch as Head and a new mission to develop software for PC
computers. Due to the restructuring of the Institute in 1992 about 60%
of employees left the Division. From the remaining staff of 8 persons a
new department was created: The Department of Applied Mathematics and
Informatics headed by Prof. Antoni Faber. The changes become faster.
KBN, in answer to a proposal prepared by Czesław Pietruch, MSc, grants
funding for the purchase of a SUN computer, the installation of a LAN
network at the IUNG and the Internet connection.
In 1994 dr. Andrzej Zaliwski becomes Head of Department. Gradually new staff is recruited. In the Department new research projects are introduced that take into account new developments in informatics. Research projects on simulation modelling of yields of selected crops are started, but the development of Spatial Information System on Agricultural Resources in Poland becomes the most important. The projects taken on require close co-operation of specialists from such fields as natural sciences, cartography, geodesy, geography, remote sensing, mathematics, mathematical statistics and informatics. These have been considered the priority direction of research at the IUNG. Technical equipment now makes possible to create numerical maps at different scales: country, regional and local in order to present the distribution of natural variables, such as: climate, contamination of soils etc. Between 1998 and 2000 the research is continued within the "Integrated Spatial Information System for Agricultural Production in Poland" project, commissioned by the Polish Minister of Agriculture.
In 1994 dr. Andrzej Zaliwski becomes Head of Department. Gradually new staff is recruited. In the Department new research projects are introduced that take into account new developments in informatics. Research projects on simulation modelling of yields of selected crops are started, but the development of Spatial Information System on Agricultural Resources in Poland becomes the most important. The projects taken on require close co-operation of specialists from such fields as natural sciences, cartography, geodesy, geography, remote sensing, mathematics, mathematical statistics and informatics. These have been considered the priority direction of research at the IUNG. Technical equipment now makes possible to create numerical maps at different scales: country, regional and local in order to present the distribution of natural variables, such as: climate, contamination of soils etc. Between 1998 and 2000 the research is continued within the "Integrated Spatial Information System for Agricultural Production in Poland" project, commissioned by the Polish Minister of Agriculture.
At the present the Department have such computer programs as: AGROEFEKT
(Technology Modeling and Economic Analysis of Private Farms), NAW3,
AGRONOM (Fertilization Advisory Service), AWAR (Variance Analysis
System), DOPL2 (Crop Rotation Advisory Service), which are in the
IUNG's advertisement. Progress is made on a new version of Advisory
Service in Cereal Production Technology. The staff of the Department
have co-operated with other scientific departments at the IUNG in
realization of many interdisciplinary research projects. The effects
are common scientific publications rewarded with national, ministerial
and Director of the Institute's awards.
Opr. Stanisław Wilkos
Opr. Stanisław Wilkos