The microbes responsible for methane emissions in the rumens of ruminant animals have been found to share similarities around the world. The research was carried out by the Global Rumen Census as a collaborative research project with the Livestock Research Group of the Global Research Alliance. The extensive project involved 140 researchers from 73 institutions, analysing rumen microbe samples from 34 countries and farming systems. As a result of this study, there is hope that new technologies that seek to reduce methane emissions by influencing rumen microbes can have global applications.
Read the media release here
Read the full report here
A brief note prepared by Landbouw Economisch Instituut (Agricultural Economics Institute) (LEI) Wageningen University and Research Centre (UR) paints a picture of Central Asia’s agricultural potential and food security in the light of climate change. The Central Asian region comprised of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are agrarian societies and net importers of grains and some other food crops. Agriculture in the region is vulnerable to climate change. Adaptation strategies to manage climate, such as more effective use of inputs, particularly of water, require financial means which the majority of farmers cannot easily afford. In the coming ten to twenty years, Central Asia’s susceptibility to the effects of climate change will be determined by socio-economic factors rather than by climate change itself. Read the article here.
The Global Research Alliance is pleased to welcome the Dominican Republic as the 46th member of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
On June 5, the UK Government Department of Environment Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), to support the Croplands Research Group of the GRA, launched a free, open source modelling platform to help researchers, developers and students share expertise on the use of models for greenhouse gas emissions measurements.
The GRA’s Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Cross-Cutting Group (SCNC) organised the second ‘model inter-comparison on agricultural GHG emissions’ workshop in Fort Collins, USA March 2-4 this year.
The Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Agriculture Initiative has released a report on the current challenges of livestock methane emissions management, and offers actionable solutions. The report follows on from a study of 34 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America, and an in-depth assessment of six of these countries. It identifies and addresses four main problems: lack of awareness, lack of knowledge, low access to incentives, and ineffective policies/legislation. See here for the media release, or read the report.
Five animal-safe compounds have been identified as being able to reduce methane emissions in livestock by up to 90%. The discovery was made after more than 100,000 compounds were tested by researchers working through the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre and Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium. Further trials are needed, but the search is already under way for a commercial partner to translate the findings a usable product.
The finding is part of the research made possible through New Zealand’s increased government and farmer funding into agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation. Collaboration on the project with international scientists has been made possible through New Zealand Government funding of the Global Research Alliance. Read the NZAGRC media release and related news release.
The Global Research Alliance Croplands Research Group is now up and running on Facebook. This move to social media enables the group to post updates, news, and meeting and upcoming event information in a user-friendly, visually driven format. It’s never been easier for interested or new researchers in croplands greenhouse gas emissions research to keep in the loop. Visit and like their page at https://www.facebook.com/GRAcroplands
A document reporting on the Animal Health and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity Network of the Global Research Alliance’s African regional meeting in Addis Ababa Ethipoia, November 2014 is now available. Please click the link below to locate the document.
The latest Livestock Research Group Newsletter is now available to download.
This edition includes an update from the LRG meeting in Jogyakarta, Indonesia; the FAO/LRG Collaboration for GHG; updates from the research networks; and the launch of SF6 Tracer Technique guidelines.
Co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) of Thailand in Bangkok, the GRA organized a regional meeting to start a network on farming systems. Participating countries were Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam and of course Thailand. With the support of Agriterra, farmer representatives from the Philippines and Indonesia also joined this meeting. The Netherlands, the current Chair of the GRA, was represented by the Co-chair of the GRA Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Group and a policy official of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. In this two-day workshop, the countries’ policy and research representatives explored the challenges and difficulties of developing farming systems that meet the impact of a changing climate. On the first day the exchange of experiences between participants was the focus. On the second day, participants analyzed the exchanged information and identified common areas of interest. As a result they identified and agreed to put their efforts into four projects. The projects are: 1) Mixed farming systems, 2) Knowledge transfer/adoption of mitigation technologies/adaptations for GHG reduction, 3) Development of information systems for tools and technologies, and 4) Increased collaboration between policy makers, researchers and farmers. For each project, one (or two) leading countries will initiate the process. This very successful workshop makes an impressive start to the regional collaboration initiated and supported by the GRA. In the upcoming months the groups will exchange the results, and as the process continues it will be worthwhile to meet again in a year’s time.
Akarapon Houbcharaun, Thailand: [email protected] / Jan Verhagen, the Netherlands: [email protected]
A position (up to 2.5 years) is available for a postdoctoral fellow who will be responsible for measuring nitrous oxide fluxes from grazed pastures systems based at the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. The project will be purchasing equipment that allows eddy covariance measurements of nitrous oxide and the successful candidate will help install and maintain the equipment, collect data, interpret and write papers in this newly-developing field of research. The successful applicant will be part of a team measuring carbon dioxide and water fluxes from pastures and wetlands. The team’s goal is to find management practices that decrease the greenhouse gas burden on the atmosphere while maintaining production. Further details about the team and its research can be found on www.waiber.com. The full position description can be viewed at the University of Waikato, vacancy page: www.jobs.waikato.ac.nz, where applications should also be made. Enquiries of an academic nature should be directed to Professor Louis Schipper, email: [email protected].