Carbon Management has published an article describing the Eurosoil 2012 conference in Bari, Italy earlier this year. The article has a particular emphasis on greenhouse gases and the participation of the Global Research Alliance at the conference. The direct link to the article, which can be accessed free of charge is: http://www.future-science.com/toc/cmt/3/5
The Croplands Research Group and the Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Cross-cutting Group held a joint meeting alongside the conference. This was the first Group meeting of the Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Cross-Cutting Group. The Group has already held two workshops determining topics of work which informed their work plan discussions at Bari. A short summary version of the meeting report is now available from the Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Cross-cutting Group page.
The Manure Management Network (MMN) of the Alliance’s Livestock Research Group has meet for the first time at a workshop in Rome, Italy. The MMN is one of five networks that coordinate activities around specific topics relating to issues that concern the Livestock Research Group.
Participants attended from 12 Alliance member countries and were joined by invited guests from the FAO Livestock Dialogue programme to discuss the work plan of the network, and connections with FAO activities. The participants identified several activities that the network would undertake in the coming year including the development of guidelines for measuring emissions from manure, identification of mitigation options with an economic evaluation for each alignment of network activities to the Manure kiosk and pilot projects of the FAO Livestock Dialogue.
A short summary report and further information about this network can be found on the Livestock Research Group research networks and databases page.
The Croplands Research Group met for the fourth time in Bari, Italy, alongside the Eurosoil 2012 Conference.
The Group meet in conjunction with the Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Cross-Cutting Group and was attended by 49 delegates and technical experts representing 20 Alliance member countries.
A short summary version of the meeting report is now available from the Croplands Research Group page.
Alliance member countries sent representatives and research experts to a workshop in Bangkok, Thailand on the 20th June to develop a Livestock Research Group Animal Health and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity Network. This initial workshop coincided with the 15th International Congress on Infectious Diseases and STAR-IDAZ meetings (http://www.star-idaz.net/).
The workshop was a perfect opportunity to see how STAR-IDAZ and the Livestock Research Group could work together to promote the understanding of animal disease and greenhouse gas emissions intensity in order to identify possible future work. Experts and Alliance dicussed the scope of a possible animal health and greenhouse gas emissions intensity network under the Livestock Research Group. For more information on this Network, including presentations from the workshop see the LRG networks and databases page.
A priority project for the Alliance’s Livestock Research Group has been the evaluation of the USA developed GreenFeed (C-Lock) system to measure methane emissions from cattle in herd grazing situations.
An international collaboration between scientists in New Zealand and the USA to evaluate field methane measurement from cattle using the C-Lock system (an automated methane measurement system). The US scientists had developed the C-Lock system for a temperate grazing pastoral system. The UK and Australian governments have invested in the purchase of C-Lock systems and will spend time trialling and evaluating the system for use in their countries, but using the results from this study as background information.
A brief report on the first evaluation of this system under controlled conditions in New Zealand may be requested from the authors. Please visit the LRG technical information and knowledge page for more information.
A new report by the Technical Working Group on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (T-AGG) at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions synthesizes the fundamental information needed to design programs for livestock producers to report and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. It discusses in detail strategies to reduce enteric and manure methane emissions from dairy, beef, and swine systems.
The full report, released at the July C-AGG meeting, is available online along with a shorter companion brief. Learn more about the full T-AGG body of work, which provides a technical foundation for programs to engage farmers and ranchers on working agricultural land in the United States, on the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions website.
An article has been published in the Journal of Agricultural & Food Information about the development of a literature database for the Alliance’s Croplands Research Group. The database allows members of the Croplands Research Group to search and upload references of published literature concerned with mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from croplands by country, climate or cropping system.
The database was developed by faculty and staff at Kansas State University Libraries in collaboration with Dr Chuck Rice of Kansas State University. The article covers the development and implementation of the database as well as lessons learned.
The Croplands Research Group is happy to have contributed to this published paper and is grateful to Chuck Rice and K-State for their partnership.
The article can be downloaded from the Journal of Agricultural & Food Information
Livia Olsen, Tara Baillargeon & Harish Maringanti (2012): Developing an Open Access Croplands Research Database Through Global Collaboration, Journal of Agricultural & Food Information, 13:1, 35-44.
The Research Groups Chairs give their presentation
A short summary report from the June 2012 meeting of the Alliance Council in Saskatoon, Canada is now available for you to download and read.
The meeting was attended by participants from 21 member countries, two observer countries and representatives from invited international organisations.
The meeting saw New Zealand hand over the role of Alliance Chair to Canada, Uruguay was confirmed as the vice-Chair. Outcomes included the finalisation of the Alliance Communications Policy, and update from the Research and cross-cutting Groups of the Alliance and presentations from international organisations invited as Partners of the Alliance.
Read the Alliance Council meeting summary.
The Livestock Research Group has just released the July 2012 edition of their newsletter.
In this edition you will find:
- A country focus on Ghana
- Knowledge and technology transfer through a New Zealand industry-government consortium
- Information about the UK’s GHG research platform
- An update from the recent Alliance Council meeting
Regular features in the newsletter also include updates from the research networks of the Livestock Research Groups, capability building opportunities and articles on projects being undertaken in member countries.
Download the newsletter or visit the Livestock Research Group page.
Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the Second round of the New Zealand Fund for Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research (the Fund) are now being called. The Fund is aimed at accelerating global research into mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from pastoral livestock farming.
The Fund is open to international scientists, and it is hoped that multi-stakeholder/country consortia bids will be put forward. Projects can be led by New Zealand or international participants, but must include a New Zealand partner. Co-funding from international participants is also required.
Round 2 of the Fund totals NZ$15 million, and supports projects up to three years in duration. The cost of individual projects is expected to be in the range of NZ$1-3 million over the four years.
The Fund will seek proposals in response to a set of high-level research challenges that have been identified by an international strategic science panel, chaired by the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Professor Sir Peter Gluckman. These challenges are in the areas of:
- Manipulating rumen function
- Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from soils in predominantly grazing livestock systems
- Manipulating the rates of soil carbon change in predominantly grazing livestock systems
- Improved information for farmer decision making in predominantly grazing livestock systems
The Fund follows a two-stage application process beginning with a short expression of interest (EOI) which closes 27 August 2012. Successful EOI applicants are then invited to submit full proposals. Projects from Round 2 that gain approval are expected to commence in July 2013.
Please visit http://www.mpi.govt.nz/nzlivestockemissionsfund to obtain further information on the fund as well as the guidelines and application forms.
Last weeks Alliance Council meeting in Saskatoon, Canada saw Canada take of role of Council Chair.
See below for links to further articles mentioning the meeting and Canada’s agricultural greenhouse gas research efforts that support the work of the Global Research Alliance.
Canada takes over from New Zealand as Council Chair for the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases at the Alliance Council meeting taking place this week in Saskatoon, Canada.
Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced an investment of more than $3.4 million to the University of Saskatchewan to study how to reduce agricultural greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the areas of agroforestry, irrigation and nitrogen use. Minister Ritz made the announcement just as meetings of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases were commencing in Saskatoon.
Read the press release about Canada’s research investments to support the Global Research Alliance at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.