3 December, 2009

Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (RSAU-MTAA)
Ecology Department of Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology Faculty of RSAU-MTAA

Address: 49 Timiryazevskaya St., Moscow, 127550 Russian Federation Phone: +7 495 9764100 Fax: :+7 495 9762910 e-mail: E-mail: inter@timacad.ru Web: http://www.ecology.timacad.ru/novosti/seminar-fao/

On December 3, 2009 at the Ecology Department of Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (RSAU-MTAA) there was organized the topical workshop covering the topics of research, information and analytical problems of agroecological optimization of agricultural natural resources use on the basis of modern information and communication technologies as well as the specialized information resources and projects of the European office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Leading and young lecturers and faculty members, the most motivated for the international cooperation postgraduate students, candidates for a master's degree and students, representatives of the allied departments and faculties of RSAU-MTAA took part in the workshop.

The highest interest of workshop participants was caused by the review and methodological lecture made by Michal Demes, Information and Knowledge Management Officer of FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, presented in fluent Russian and supported with the effectual examples of outstandingly interesting examples of the fundamental archaeological, landscape and ecological studies, successful application of the precision and biological systems of soil management, environmental databases and website of Mr. Demes's family farm.

In his presentation Mr. Demes covered the important and topical problems of creation of the integrated information and library environment, role of the linguistic media in the formation of the global information space in the agricultural sector of Europe and Central Asia. Special attention was given to usage of network infrastructures for the effective transfer and exchange of the research and pedagogical knowledge. The significance of CIARD project for the development of agricultural information was characterized.

In course of the given lecture, the follow-up questions and scholarly dispute the special attention was given to the structure and support of sources of agroecological information, methodological questions of their formation, support and usage in the academic activity and scientific researches.

There were formulated the prospective tasks of the phased creation of the modern Russian-language sources of agroecological information, which would be useful and accessible for the high use for the Russian-speaking representatives of CIS countries and foreign graduates of Russian universities. On the basis of the Ecology Department of RSAU-MTAA it was decided to form the working group for the creation of Russian-language information and analytical website covering agroecological problems.

Workshop participants agreed upon the tasks on creation of information and reference directories of agricultural scientists and institutions of Russian Federation, involved into agroecological applied researches and theoretical studies, education, information science and resources. Information resources of AgroWeb Belarus website supported by Belarus Agricultural Library were presented in the co-presentation made by Mrs. Oksana Sivurova, Head of FAO Centre of Belarus Agricultural Library. AgroWeb Belarus was chosen as the main the prototype for the development of the similar information resources in Russian Federation.

It is necessary to mention, that taking into consideration the formalated during the meeting tasks on the development of modern information resources of agroecological informationthe the organized workshop gave the high-power impulse for the content modernization of the Ecology Department of RSAU-MTAA website (http://www.ecology.timacad.ru/) .

As as a result of the held workshop it was decided to organize the next one in June 2010 during the Ecological Summer School in course of which it is planned to analyse the achieved results, developed information resources and determine the priority tasks on their futher development.

Michal Demes
Information and Knowledge Management Officer of FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
E-mail: Michal.Demes@fao.org

Ivan I. Vasenev
Professor
Ecology Department
Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology Faculty, RSAU-MTAA
E-mail: vasenev@timacad.ru; vasenev@dubki.ru

Ivan M. Yashin
Professor
Ecology Department
Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology Faculty, RSAU-MTAA
E-mail: imja2005@mail.ru

Vladimir A. Chernikov
Professor
Ecology Department
Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology Faculty, RSAU-MTAA

Mikhail A. Mazirov
Professor
Department for Soil Management and Experimenting Methods
RSAU-MTAA

Lyudmila I. Khrustaleva
Professor
Department for Soil Management and Experimenting Methods
RSAU-MTAA

Vyacheslav A. Raskatov
Associate Professor
Centre for the Molecular Biotechnology
RSAU-MTAA

Evgeny B. Taller
Associate Professor
Ecology Department
Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology Faculty, RSAU-MTAA

Aleksej V. Buzylev
Assistant Professor
Ecology Department
Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology Faculty, RSAU-MTAA
E-mail: il@li.ru

Simon Angombe
Post-graduate Student
Ecology Department
Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology Faculty, RSAU-MTAA

Dmitrij A. Grachev
Candidate for a Master's Degree
Ecology Department
Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology Faculty, RSAU-MTAA
E-mail: dmitry.bigbrain@gmail.com

Oksana A. Sivurova
Head of FAO Centre
Belarus Agricultural Library
E-mail: sivurova@belal.by