A call for abstracts has been announced ahead of the 6th Symposium on Soil Organic Matter to be held 3-7 September 2017 in Harpenden, UK.
Abstracts are invited for the following themes:
• Session 1: Global Perspectives (invited speakers only)
• Session 2: Modelling SOM: from soil pore to climate change
• Session 3: Methods 1: Visualising SOM
• Session 4: Methods 2: Quantifying pools and fluxes of SOM
• Session 5: Soil Health 1: Biological interactions
• Session 6: Soil Health 2: The role of decomposition
• Session 7: SOM as Natural Capital
The deadline for abstract submission is 15 April 2017.
Find information on submitting abstracts here
Register for the conference here
Visit the conference website: www.som2017.org
Enquiries: +49 3641 31 16-366 or email [email protected]
The winter 2017 newsletter from our Partner, Global Open Data for Agriculture & Nutrition (GODAN), is now available.
This issue includes information about the latest documentary from their YouTube channel of a UK farmer utilising satellite data for precision farming.
Read the newsletter here
The latest newsletter from our Partner, the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI) is now available. This edition includes new funding call and workshop opportunities, and information on their new vice-chairs.
Click here to access the newsletter.
Below are some excerpts from an update on the recent activities of our GRA Special Representative, Hayden Montgomery.
“My very best wishes to you all for a very happy and prosperous 2017.
G7 side-event COP22
In the margins of COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco, on 10 November I represented the GRA in a meeting organised by our vice-Chair, Japan, to follow up on the 2016 G7 Agricultural Ministers declaration – the result of their meeting on 23-24 April 2016 in Niigata, Japan. The GRA was invited to participate in a panel, along with Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture (GACSA), 4 per 1000 on soil carbon, and the FAO’s Global Soil Partnership, to explore ways to cooperate more closely. The event was well attended by G7 members, government officials of other interested countries attending COP22, FAO, OECD, CGIAR, IPCC and other international organizations associated with tackling climate change issues – many of which are Members and Partners of the GRA in their own right. I’d like to thank Japan for organising this event and I will ensure that as we prepare for the next GRA Council meeting in Japan later this year I’ll take the opportunity to continue the sharing of information between these initiatives and explore concrete opportunities for collaboration.
4 per 1000
While in Marrakech, I was also able to participate in the launch of the 4 per 1000. Following the GRA Council’s agreement, I was able to sign the 4 per 1000 Declaration of Intention on the GRA Secretariat’s behalf and participate in the first meeting of its Consortium. I look forward to tracking the ongoing development of this initiative to help ensure that the research being conducted is directed towards common objectives. We are already taking steps to ensure that the Soil Carbon Sequestration Flagship is well coordinated with the International Research Programme of the 4 per 1000.
IPCC observer status
Following consultations with the IPCC Secretariat, on 28 November 2016 the GRA Secretariat sent a letter to the IPCC formally requesting that the GRA be admitted as an accredited observer, as per our agreement at Council. We await the decision making process of the IPCC and hope that at its Panel meeting in late March 2017 a favourable decision will be taken.
GRA Partner engagement
While in Marrakech I was also able to meet with a number of GRA partners, including the CGIAR Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN), Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and a host of other potential future GRA partners. I will be following up with these institutions in due course.
New GRA member
I’m sure you’ll all join me in welcoming South Africa as the newest and 47th Member of the GRA. I’m delighted that the Membership is still growing and look forward to South Africa participating in subsequent GRA meetings and activities.
GRA Flagship project development
I’m very pleased that we have now established Task Forces for each of the four GRA Flagship projects that were adopted at the Council meeting in October. Now begins the real work of elaborating projects and activities so that we can ensure that the projects meet the needs and expectations of the GRA Members and Partners.
Upcoming events
This week I’ll be in Rome to attend the first meeting of the GRA’s Integrative Research Group – an important milestone in advancing the work of its networks and the elaboration of the GRA’s Soil Carbon Sequestration Flagship project, among others. While in Rome I’ll be meeting with FAO staff to identify concrete ways to align its work with that of the GRA and I’ll be participating in an Expert Meeting on Climate Change, Land Use and Food Security, being hosted by FAO and IPCC. I look forward to updating you on the outcomes of these meetings on our teleconference.
The 17th Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC17) is a scientific meeting that will be held over three days at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, on 21-23 March 2017. This could present an excellent opportunity to make progress in advancing the Soil Carbon Sequestration Flagship and raise the profile of the GRA in this scientific community.
Best wishes,
Hayden Montgomery”
A doctoral research assistant position is available at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA for a highly motivated student seeking PhD training in Dairy Science beginning in Fall 2017. The successful applicant will conduct research on dairy cow protein nutrition and the methods for improving and evaluating the efficiency of nitrogen utilisation.
Excess crude protein (CP) in the diets of dairy cows is excreted in the urine as urinary urea nitrogen (UUN). This source of N reduces the environmental sustainability of dairy farms because it can contribute to atmospheric ammonia and nitrous oxide emission and to nitrate contamination of waters. Avoiding excess CP in the ration of dairy cows may contribute to the economic and environmental sustainability of the dairy industry if milk production is maintained.
Applicants must have earned a MS degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field and a record of peer- reviewed publications.
Applications by 1 March 2017. For more information and how to apply click here
From 19-20 January last month the Global Research Alliance’s Integrative Research Group held their first independent meeting in Rome, Italy. At this meeting they reviewed their progress to date and held some discussions on Flagship projects and steps to develop their five Networks.
The meeting was attended by 34 participants from 16 Alliance member countries (Australia, Canada, China, France, Ghana, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA, Uruguay), and invited experts.
The Integrative Research Group was formed after the 2015 Council Meeting after the decision was made to merge two previous cross-cutting groups: Soil Carbon & Nitrogen Cycling and Inventories & Monitoring.
The Meeting Report is now available in the Members’ Area of this website, or read the short Meeting Summary here
Participants in the Integrative Research Group Meeting in Rome, 2017
The first edition of the FACCE-ERA newsletter is now available, and features information on the funding call and related events.
Click here to read the newsletter.
ICT-AGRI (Information & Communication Technology and Robotics for Sustainable Agriculture) has launched their 2017 call on farm management systems for precision farming.
Funded by the European Commission’s ERA-NET scheme, ICT-AGRI aims to contribute to the development of an eco-efficient, resource-efficient and competitive agriculture through an enhanced and improved use of ICT and robotics. Precision Farming involves a number of digital technologies, including the Internet of Things and automated agricultural machinery, and is recognised having significant potential for the sustainable intensification of primary food production.
The topics of the call are:
- Agricultural research on use of sensor data for decision support
- Development of applications for Precision Farming
- Cases of integration of third-party applications with Farm Management Systems
For further information please download the Information for Applicants
Proposals must be submitted by 21 April 2017.
A joint project is underway to help countries improve the way they measure, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Each country currently has different methods of measuring, reporting and verifying (known colloquially as ‘MRV’).
The project is divided into four steps:
- Characterise international requirements for MRV
- Identify the approaches countries are currently taking
- Conduct a survey to identify the reasons for these approaches
- Make recommendations
It is hoped that a first draft of findings will be published in February 2017.
The joint project is being implemented by the Livestock Research Group of the Global Research Alliance and our Partners CGIAR’s Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), and the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO), with support from UNIQUE Forestry & Land Use, and the New Zealand Government.
Read the full article in the December 2016 LRG newsletter
Read the latest newsletter of the Global Research Alliance’s Livestock Research Group here.
The January 2017 newsletter of FACCE SURPLUS, a funding call of our Partner FACCE-JPI, includes a new call on small-scale biorefineries.
Read the full newsletter here.
A Research Associate position is being offered in the Agriculture, Food & Rural Development department at Newcastle University, United Kingdom.
This position will help enhance the sustainability of non-ruminant livestock systems by improving their efficiency whilst taking into account new development in breeding and feeding such livestock. Specific responsibilities will include:
- leading activities on environmental impact assessment and simulation modelling of nutrient flows in livestock systems
- using initiative and creativity to develop existing or new simulation agri-environmental models
- using models to answer specific research questions, eg ‘How do we feed new livestock genotypes to reduce environmental impact’?
The candidate will need to have an awarded PhD in a relevant area of science (biological or environmental impact modelling/assessment), clear understanding of simulation modelling of environmental input or biological processes, and experience of understanding agri-environmental research.
The post is available fixed term and full time for 30 months from 01.03.2017, with a salary of 29,943 pounds (progression to 38,183 pounds).
Click here for the position description and information.
Click here to visit the university’s website.
