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From 1988 to 2001, the Information Systems and Insect Studies (ISIS) group worked on the application of artificial intelligence and decision support systems to agricultural and entomological problems under the direction of Nick Stone, now Director of Education for Virginia Tech's International Institute for Information Technology in Alexandria, Virginia
ISIS was also a participant in the SWAMP, an interdisciplinary research and educational program emphasizing a Systems approach to Watershed Assessment, Management, and Policy.
Developed from 1996-1999, these web-based tools support teaching, research, and extension programs on the web. The most popular has been WhizQuiz for on-line self-assessment and instructional quizzing. Other tools included an on-line diagnostic system builder (e.g., for identification systems) and a hierarchical calendar of events for organizations, and a questionnaire utility.
WhizQuiz (current version 2.01) A server application that lets designated authors upload text files with embedded tags to create web-based quizzes for self-assessment, learning, and testing, with immediate feedback and grading WhizQuest (current version 1.1) Like WhizQuiz, a server application that lets designated authors upload text files with embedded tags to create web-based questionnaires. Includes statistical analysis of results, free text responses and web-accessible results with timed access. WhizCal (current version 1.90a) A web-based calendar server that lets authors create web-editable, hierarchical calendars. Designed for use in Cooperative Extension, it has been used by many academic and other departments, for collaborative web sites, courses, and for personal calendars.
Note: Users of the updated ISIS WhizCal server can now log in on the WhizCal hompageWhizID (current version: beta) A java servlet-based web application that lets designated authors create interactive diagnostic systems on the web.
ISIS developed decision support systems for agriculture and natural resource management. The NutMan system has been through over thirty releases and has been in use in Virginia's Nutrient Management Program since 1994. It is now supported by a private company.
Crop Rotation Planning System (CRoPS) sponsor: USDA/NRCS Nutrient Management System (NutMan) sponsor: VDCR/Division of Soil & Water Conservation Watershed Policy Analysis Tool sponsor: USDA/National Research Initiative Pasture Land Management System sponsor: USEPA/RLEP
Using the interactive utilities/wizards above along with relational databases and our own middleware, we developed dynamic web sites for our home department and in support of collaborative research:
Entomology Department Site Interactive web site developed originally for the CSREES Review of the department in May of 2000 Southern Pine Beetle Internet Control Cener Collaborative, shared-maintenance site for professionals working on SPB National IPM Network National project with regional servers. We host the Southern Region server and provide interactive tools for use on other servers and the national site.
In collaboration with IPM extension and research faculty, we developed web-based interactive advisors for peanut, soybean, and cotton producers
- The Peanut and Cotton InfoNet, with Pat Phipps and Barron Britt Keeling
- Southern Corn Rootworm Risk Index, with Ames Herbert
- Corn Earworm Economic Threshold Calculator in Soybean, with Ames Herbert
- Virginia Insect Control Expert for Corn (VICE-Corn), developed by Dr. Roz Buick, Prabhakar Bhogaraju, and Roger Youngman (beta)
