CIMMYT's GIS and Crop Modeling Laboratory was established within the Natural Resources Group in 1996 to provide support in use of GIS and simulation modeling in all aspects of CIMMYT's research. Much of the Laboratory's research activities deal with regional or global targeting of research activities based on climatic analyses. Another important theme is improved use of geospatial data and tools through electronic atlases and almanacs.

Maize Production Environments Revisited. A GIS-based Approach describes use of GIS to revise the Maize Program's classification of major maize production environments ("mega environments" or "MEs"). This publication presents a revision of the maize MEs that draws on geographic information systems (GISs). Diagnostic criteria for mapping MEs were based on cluster analysis results and expert knowledge that defined groupings based on daylength, mean temperature, and precipitation. The resulting maps are used to select appropriate target environments for maize germplasm and trials at the regional level, as well as in priority setting and site selection for global maize breeding programs.

Efforts to provide non-specialist access to the power of GIS have involved two types of CD-ROM products. Research Atlases provide users pre-assembled sets of maps and data that users can access on the CD with viewing software. Examples include the Maize Research Atlas series for Africa, Asia and Latin America. Providing users greater analytic power -- including the option of introducing data from GPS readings, satellite imagery, and other sources - Country Almanacs are finding widespread use by agronomists, breeders, genetic resource specialists, NGOs and others. The ability to create complex queries according to specific user needs makes these tools especially attractive. The Almanac software engine was originally developed at Texas A&M University but in 2002, the group moved to Mud Springs Geographers, Inc. to provide the full support users expect from commercial software. Almanacs are available for over ten countries in Africa as well as for Nepal, Ecuador and the state of Guanajuato in Mexico.

Other recent GIS activities at CIMMYT include characterizing wheat production regions of Ethiopia, analyzing actual use of GIS by agronomists, and providing support to the Rice Wheat Consortium.