2021 GRA Research Group Report Cropland Research Group

RESEARCH GROUP OVERVIEW

• Group Leadership: o Co- Chairs: Ladislau Martin-Neto, Embrapa, Brazil; María Rosa Mosquera-Losada, University of de Compostela, ; Mark Liebig, USDA-ARS, USA. o Support Team: Nuria Ferreiro-Domínguez, Javier Rodríguez-Rigueiro, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

• Group Members: , Australia, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, , Costa Rica, Denmark, DR Congo, , Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, , Paraguay, , Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Sénégal, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Uruguay, United States, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe • Most recent Group meeting: o Meeting date and location: 9-10 December 2020, online. o Attended by Alliance member countries: Argentina, Australia, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malawi, Mongolia, Namibia, New Zealand, Poland, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Sénégal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Zimbabwe o Participating partner organisations: CABI • Next Group meeting:

Cropland Research Group Report March 2021 o Meeting date and location: Date to be determined based on availability of CRG members for virtual meeting as suggested by the GRA Secretariat. • Group coordination and communications: o Regular teleconference: Teleconferences among co-chairs occurred on 29 May 2020, 14 October 2020, 4 November 2020, and 18 February 2021. o Email updates / Newsletter: The GRA Croplands Research Group Newsletter was released in March, June, September, and December 2020. Led by Rosa Mosquera, the newsletter provides brief updates on relevant mitigation and adaptation initiatives relevant to GRA members. o Webinars: Three CRG webinars were held during the reporting period: 14 July 2020 - Integrated Production Systems, Dr. Alberto Bernardi; 28 October 2020 - Biochar, Dr. Ayaka Kishimoto-Mo; 8 March 2021 - Soil C Sequestration, Dr. Marcelo Beltrán. o Social media presence: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GRAcroplands/; Twitter - GRA Croplands Research Group, @GroupGRA. • Resourcing o Travel support to attend meetings: N/A

NETWORKS

Network name Network coordinators (names Network Update (e.g. communications, meetings, workshops, funding applications, and institutions) participation in Flagships or other GRA activities etc.)

Agroforestry María Rosa Mosquera-Losada, Network activities aligned with projects coordinated within AFINET throughout 2020. University of Santiago de Briefly, project outcomes were presented at the 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Compostela Agriculture, held online with over 100 scientists attending. AFINET also produced a practitioner’s handbook and established an online platform for knowledge sharing in 2020.

Activities for 2021 include efforts linking with EU projects focused on sustainable land use and technologies, with the aim of engaging representatives from countries in South America, Africa, and Europe within the scope of the UNDERTREES effort. . Additionally, projects on agroecology (AE4EU), bioeconomy (GO-GRASS), climate change, and knowledge

Cropland Research Group Report March 2021 sharing platform developments (EUREKA, EURAKNOS) are also being considered as activities in 2021.

Conservation Agriculture Craig Drury, Agriculture and Network activities in 2020 focused on the completion of a meta-analysis of select

Agri-Food Canada management options to reduce N2O emissions from cropland, while facilitating contributions from CRG members towards a special issue of Soil Science Society of America Journal (Issue title: The role of conservation agricultural practices on reducing GHG emissions and enhancing carbon sequestration; Eds. Craig Drury, Jane Johnson, Chuck Rice). In 2021, the Network will complete the meta-analysis and submit the associated paper for journal review. Contributions to the special issue will be finalized and submitted for review, with a projected publication date of early 2022.

Integrated Systems Alberto Carlos de Campos In 2020, the Network led a webinar reviewing research on sustainable intensification Bernardi, Embrapa, Brazil practices in Brazil, with particular focus on integrated systems. In 2021, the Network will evaluate how integrated systems affect soil carbon stocks and stability through a meta- analysis of applicable treatments in long-term experiments. Preliminary outcomes will be shared at the II World Congress on Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration Systems (4-5 May 2021).

Landscape Management Xunhua Zheng, Chinese Network activities in 2020 focused on development of an updated version of the CNMM- Academy of Sciences DNDC model to include soil pH changes and modifications for regions with seasonal or permanently frozen soils. Outcomes from these enhancements were presented at university seminars and national conferences. Additionally, several manuscripts documenting the functionality of the updated model were either published or submitted for review.

In 2021, the Network will validate model updates using field observations, with particular focus on soil erosion processes, complex cropping systems, and agroforestry systems. Collaboration with CRG members will be sought for these activities.

Cropland Research Group Report March 2021 Peatlands Management Hanna Silvennoinen, NIBIO Planned Network activities in 2020 were significantly affected by the pandemic, with no Norway; Fahmuddin Agus, accomplishments to report. In 2021, Network activities will expand to include ongoing Indonesian Agency for research in southeast Asia. Potential topics for collaboration include sustainable peatlands Agricultural Research and management, nutrient-use efficiency, irrigation management, and residual impacts of burn Development footprints).

RESEARCH GROUP Activities

Activity Name Outcomes Members Partners/others Please categorise output as Existing funding is involved involved (if provided through (e.g. one more of following: relevant) name of international Capability Building (CB), fund/name country Research (R), Guidance (G), research funding/name of Policy Support (PS) Partner funding or collaboration), including use of any fellowships /exchanges programmes Literature Database: Increased access to L. Olsen, C. In-kind from Kansas State CB, R https://www.lib.k- GHG-related Rice, Kansas University Libraries state.edu/gracroplands/ publications for State

literature reviews and University meta-analyses. Global Research Alliance Improved access of J. Yeluripati, In-kind James Hutton R Modelling Platform (GRAMP): process-based models James Hutton Institute, UK http://www.gramp.org.uk/) for GHG mitigation Institute, UK estimation.

Cropland Research Group Report March 2021 Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Improved access to M. Liebig, Jennifer Carter, In-kind contribution from R Gases Network (MAGGnet): experimental site USDA-ARS, USDA-ARS USDA-ARS https://globalresearchalliance.org/ metadata for MAGGnet research/croplands/collaborative- modelling activities metadata activities/maggnet/ and meta-analyses. providers AFINET organization of the Increased Rosa Anastasia European Union Funding R, PS Parliamentary session dissemination of Mosquera, Pantera project outcomes University of Santiago de Compostela Agroforestry Innovation Networks Social media Rosa Nuria Ferreiro, European Union funding R, G dynamization Mosquera, Javier Rogriguez and network contribution University of Santiago de Compostela REGENERATE EU project to Rosa Mosquera Nuria Ferreiro, Several funds to support implement (IA) and Ladislau Javier Rodríguez the project climate smart Nieto agriculture through food systems in Europe

FUTURE RESEARCH GROUP ACTIVITIES

Cropland Research Group Report March 2021 Activity Expected Outcomes Members Partners/others Funding to be sought from Please categorise expected involved involved (if – (e.g. name of output as one more of relevant) international fund/name following: Capability Building country research (CB), Research (R), Guidance funding/name of Partner funding or collaboration) (G), Policy Support (PS)

Literature Database: Completed survey All CRG Kansas State Institute of Museum and R, CB https://www.lib.k- with clear guidance members University Library Services, National state.edu/gracroplands/ on how future Leadership Planning updates to the Grant Literature Database can better serve CRG membership. AFINET Increase sharing and All CRG University of USC and European CB, G, PS uploading documents members Santiago de Commission in collaboration with Compostela EUREKA, EURAKNOS, UNDERTREES and AE4EU

European Green week Workshop CRG members University of In kind support from PS Santiago de University of Santiago de Compostela Compostela

Cropland Research Group Report March 2021 Managing Agricultural Greenhouse 10% increase in the MAGGnet In-kind contribution from R Gases Network (MAGGnet) – number of metadata USDA-ARS Expansion of experimental sites experimental sites providers included in network. included in compiled metadata spreadsheet.

Continuation of CRG education Well attended CRG members In-kind support from CB and outreach activities webinars on topics University of Santiago de relevant to CRG Compostela (Spain) and members (e.g., zero National Agriculture and emissions agriculture, Food Research use of artificial Organization (Japan) intelligence for GHG mitigation, biochar, soil inorganic C, etc.). Engagement of CRG membership through increased newsletter contributions and social media use. Note any issues to be addressed at 2021 GRA Council meeting

Cropland Research Group Report March 2021