Web-GIS for capture and research of plant parasite

31 May 2010, 6:16pm

Potsdam/ Braunschweig/ Kleinmachnow, May 31, 2010: The initial project phase of the ongoing development of a web-based application for the nationwide capture and storage of the incidence and distribution of plant parasites has been completed successfully: DELPHI IMM GmbH - within the project responsible for the concept elaboration, the project management and the software development - delivered the software WAtSon to the Julius-Kühn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants ( JKI). The supply of the web-application for representatives of the German Federal Government and Federal States is scheduled to be realized by July 2010. The contract has been awarded in Sep-tember 2009.

The Web-GIS is perfectly tailored to the needs of local authorities and qualifies the Plant Protection Services (PPS) of the German Federal States to report, to monitor, to analyze and to validate plant parasites. Related to the concept of e-participation the web-application is open to the public by enabling single citizens to supply online information on the distribution of ambrosia plants. Thus, the web-atlas WAtSon will encompass an improvement in monitoring plant parasites and in realizing the automatic analysis and evaluation of parasite reports based on a multitude of information from shared resources.

The input of information is completed via digital web forms in a web editor and the storage of the input in a database. Moreover, WAtSon is uniquely qualified to combine web form in-formation with mapclient functionalities which are realized by data based and spatial query tools for the research and visualization of parasite reports. This ensures not only the sound technical evaluation but also the high quality of reports. In addition, places and areas of in-terest describing already recorded findings of pests and diseases can be displayed as single spots or cluster in a map according to different geographic scale parameters. Finally, this will help both experts and citizens to identify precisely the spatial localization and distribution of plant parasite reports.

JKI scientist Katrin Kaminski (JKI) shows confidence facing the importance of the development and the use of such a complex application: „By means of WAtSon we will succeed to provide cartographic mappings of the distribution of plant parasites being subject to report in Germany.“, states Kaminski. „Besides, it can be expected that the communication between the Plant Protection Services of the Federal States and the Julius-Kühn Institute will improve significantly regarding reports and surveys which handle the in-fection rate of plants.“

The web application is based on OGC standards and includes the integration of external services like the BKG-WMS for topographic maps and the BKG-WFS Gazetteer as well as OpenStreetMap. The applied software components are implemented in JAVA and JAVA Script. As a result, WAtSon enhances the supply of Web-GIS applications offered by the JKI geo competence site in Kleinmachnow.

As regards content Germany will obtain a web application that serves both public authorities and citizens to manage multifunctional duties and responsibilities in order to foster plant health and to realize herewith associated warning functionalities at an early stage. The web application will in particular represent a unique and reliable online solution to facilitate and optimize administrative processes aiming at an improved monitoring and reporting on the incidence and distribution of plant parasites and diseases on a federal level. Finally, WAtSon will also support the JKI in meeting the requirements of prospective legally binding monitoring and reporting responsibilities towards the European Union (EU) and other member states.

DELPHI IMM

Geo: International