McConkey GRA methods oct 2011

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Enhancing cooperation in agricultural greenhouse gas research Structure, Vision and Work plans for Research Groups and Cross-cutting Groups

description

Presentation for CCAFS - FAO workshop Smallholder Mitigation: Whole Farm and Landscape Accounting
 27 - 28 October 2011


Transcript of McConkey GRA methods oct 2011

Page 1: McConkey GRA methods oct 2011

Enhancing cooperation in

agricultural greenhouse gas research

Structure, Vision and Work plans for

Research Groups and Cross-cutting Groups

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Our Collective Vision

• Increase agriculture production with lower emissions

Feeding the world within the carrying capacity of earth

• Improve global cooperation in research & technology

Accelerate/strengthen knowledge and technology

development that would not happen without the Alliance

• Work with farmers and partners, provide knowledge

Develop relevant mitigation options and strengthen

productivity and resilience of food systems

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Concerted Actions

Paddy Rice Research Group

Croplands Research Group

Livestock Research Group

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Livestock Research Group

Harry Clark & Martin Scholten

• Livestock is key agricultural sector in all regions with GHG emissions arise from animals, manure, and soils

Stocktake shows more than 40% of all current research

is in livestock; two thirds funded by governments • Almost all Alliance members participate

• Two subgroups:

Ruminants

(rumen and soils) Non Ruminants

(manure)

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Livestock – Action Plan

Near-term actions: (achieved / in progress)

Stocktake analysis

Best practice guides

Technical manuals

Collaborative projects

Awards / fellowships

Targeted networks

Technical synthesis reports

Medium-term priorities: (planned for 2011/2012)

• Publish near-term action results

• Update the Stocktake

• Identify possibilities for joint research

• Identify critical factors related to

GHG emissions

• Identify options for measures

• Operationalize our long-term ambition

Wellington Banff Clermont/Versailles Amsterdam

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Croplands Group

• Coordinators

USA (Steve Shafer, Alan Franzluebbers)

• Sub-groups

Management and net GHG emissions: France (Guy Richard), USA (Charles Rice)

Emission of GHGs in agricultural peatlands and wetlands: Norway (Lillian Oygarden)

Models for C and N emissions: France (Sylvain Pellerin)

• Focus areas

Establish scientific teams; develop literature database;

standardize protocols; initiate collaborative research

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Croplands – Action Plan

• Near-term actions

Establish working relationships among scientists

• Longer term actions

Evaluate success of different management practices to

reduce GHG emissions across ecological conditions

• Achievements to date

Scientific commitment, literature database, inventory of

scientific activities across countries

• Support arrangements

Global Research Alliance Borlaug fellowships (USA)

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Paddy Rice Group

• Rice is staple food for > 2 billion people

• Paddy rice cultivation systems have different GHG

emissions than other cropping systems

• 18 countries are members of the paddy rice group

• Coordinated by Japan and Uruguay

• Stocktake shows currently 64 research projects

underway in 16 different countries

− Two major topics: GHG accounting/LCA and agronomy

− Two primary outcomes: mitigation and inventory

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Paddy Rice – Goals & Benefits

• Primary goal is limiting emissions of methane (CH4),

but trade-offs with nitrous oxide (N2O) and soil carbon will

need to be considered

• Consideration of links between mitigation,

productivity and adaptation: optimize relationship

between CH4, productivity and water use

• Standardization of measurement techniques:

- Survey to understand gaps in current methodology

- Indicates potential to establish standard method for

developing national inventories and mitigation options

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Soil Carbon-Nitrogen Cycles Cross-Cutting Group (FRANCE / AUSTRALIA )

Improved methodologies and models for mitigation

• Define common objectives across Research Groups

• Build a common modelling platform from multiple models

• Build collective expertise on applicability of models,

uncertainty and range of mitigation options

Workshops and activities to advance these goals:

• First workshop (Orléans, March 3, 2011):

stock-take of C-N models and datasets

• Second workshop (Leuven, July 2011):

model-data intercomparison, including hands-on training

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Inventories and Measurement Cross-Cutting Group (CANADA / NETHERLANDS )

Concentrate on addressing issues that affect and

benefit more than one Research Group

• Complement and support the Research Groups

• Further consistent methodological approaches

Information, knowledge, and data sharing

• Inventory methods, common priorities for collaboration

• Improve quantification of emissions and mitigation actions

• Meeting Nov. 8-10, 2011, Ottawa, Canada

Guidelines for measurements

• Improve comparability, coherence, quality, verifiability