Products
As vehicles for our thoughts, and as tools for grasping weed ecology, we are continuously developing three products:
- WeedML: a language for weed modelling
- Universal Simulator: software to run WeedML models
- WTDB: the Weed Traits Database
Read more about: Universal Simulator
Users and developers = The team
The team consists of researchers and students embracing both users and developers of WeedML and WTDB. Together we create tools to obtain deeper understanding and work more efficiently, letting weed ecologists focus on weed ecology and software developers focus on software development.
Contact: Project leader
Project practices
The project works on two tracks in parallel: one is the scientific discussion that is the foundation of WeedML and WTDB, the other is the software engineering process that incarnates WeedML and WTDB in software design and implementation. An endpoint, at which we would consider the job finished, is not envisioned for any of the two tracks.
The scientific discussion track gets most lively at the one or two yearly workshops arranged by team members, who take turns acting as hosts. The output of the workshops are reflected in updates of WeedML and WTDB documents, describing design decisions and priorities, published on this web site.
The track of software related to WeedML and WTDB is developed according to the principles and practices of Agile Software Development. Therefore, users and developers work together as a team, and the workshops are used to brainstorm, define and prioritize user stories (i.e. requirements) to set up a frame for what WeedML and WTDB should and should not include and to guide WeedML and WTDB software development.
Read more about: Agile Software Development
Sponsors
Project co-ordination, workshop costs and up to 50% of the salaries of most EU team members are sponsored by ENDURE, a Network of Excellence formed by the EU for the period 2007-2010.
The development of WeedML receives substantial support from the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS).
In addition team members are sponsored by their home institution.
Intellectual property rights
The WeedML is an open standard defined by the design documents on this site. It can be used for any purpose but, if used in part or as a whole, a reference must be given to 'WeedML: a medium for representation and exchange of weed demographic models. www.weedml.org' to acknowledge the accumulated work of the team. You have the right to develop open source or commercial software to handle WeedML files, as long as the above reference is clearly stated.
The WTDB is an open database found on this site. It can be used for any purpose but, if used in part or as a whole, a reference must be given to 'The Weed Traits Database (WTDB). www.weedml.org.' to acknowledge the accumulated work of the team. You have the right to develop open source or commercial software to work with WTDB data, as long as the above reference is clearly stated. This includes the right to extract and embed WTDB data into software.
All academic outputs inspired by or resulting from the activities of this community must have author lists accourding to the ICMJE Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts.
Read more about: ICMJE Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts
Aims
We have succeeded once...
... a class of students is using WeedML to play with weed population dynamics,
... when weed biologists can easily work together with weed modellers,
... WTDB is complete and attracts many users among researchers and students,
... WTDB holds enough data to gain new insights published in a paper,
... when weed modellers begin writing WeedML plug-ins for common use,
... when the scientific discussion between Europe and other continents fosters co-operation and joint leaps in improved understanding of weed ecology,
... when researchers outside ENDURE adds data to WTDB,
... when WTDB is running smoothly producing interesting syntheses of data upon request,
... when we have enabled people to really co-operate on models.
(A wish list jointly written upon finishing the Third Workshop in Pisa, May 2008).