Database Of Expert System For Integrated Management Of Water Hyacinth [Eichhornia Crassipes (Mart.) Solms.]

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms.), which has its origin in South America, has become one of the most invasive aquatic weeds in the world. Water hyacinth was first introduced into China in the 1900's, and it has widely spread in many Chinese provinces and has caused huge economic and environmental losses with its fast diffusion and development. At present, many methods have been used to control water hyacinth such as mechanical control, chemical control and biological control (the use of natural enemies, pathogens and allelopathy).In order to integrate the available data and knowledge for practical application, a database of expert system was developed as a tool for management of water hyacinth. The system can be used as an identification manual that helps identify natural insect enemies, pathogens of water hyacinth, and determine effective and environmentally acceptable control methods. The expert system was developed in a manner of module, which consists of four subsystems: knowledge-training, identification and control, abiotic factors effect and literature management. Knowledge was obtained from the literature and experts. The system is supported by a data base containing information necessary for the identification of 10 natural enemies, 8 pathogens, 16 herbicides and control measures. The system contains many photos to help users while identifying natural enemies and making decisions for management of the weed. Software used for developing the expert system included Delphi 7.0, SQL Server 2000 and UltraEdit. The paper describes the architecture and development of the system, and gives examples of the interface users can access to obtain information. The program can be used as a tool for farmers and technicians and for educational purposes.