SOIL MANAGEMENT COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH SUPPORT PROGRAM PROJECT YEAR 10 ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT Cornell University Montana State University North Carolina State University University of Florida University of Hawaii 2006-2007 Photo on cover page taken by Russell Yost. Photo caption: Improved water availability with ACN technology allowed Sorofi n Diarra of Siguidolo in Konobougou, Mali to raise vegetables in the dry season. Without ACN, the wells are typically dry. This report was made possible through support provided by the Offi ces of Agriculture and Natural Resources Management, Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade, U.S. Agency for International Development, under the terms of Award No. LAG-G-00-97-00002-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... 1 Program Area Progress Reports ................................................................................. 3 Nutrient Management Support System (NuMaSS) .............................................. 5 Project: Testing, Comparing and Adapting NuMaSS: The Nutrient Management Support System ......................................................................................................................................................................................................5 Project: Adoption of the Nutrient Management Support System (NuMaSS) Software Throughout Latin America ..............................................................................................................................................................................30 Tradeoff Analysis .............................................................................................................. 40 Project: Tradeoff Analysis Project Phase 2: Scaling up and Technology Transfer to Address Poverty, Food Security and Sustainability of the Agro-Environment ............................................................................. 40 Rice–Wheat Systems ....................................................................................................... 42 Project: Enhancing Technology Adoption for the Rice-Wheat Cropping System of the Indo-Gangetic Plains .......................................................................................42 Carbon Sequestration ..................................................................................................... 51 Project: Measuring and Assessing Soil Carbon Sequestration by Agricultural Systems in Developing Countries .................................................................. 51 Biotechnology ..................................................................................................................... 84 Project: Assessing the Effects of Bt Crops and Insecticides on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Residue Carbon Turnover and Fate in Soil ........................................................................................................84 Project: Genetic Characterization of Adaptive Root Traits in the Common Bean, Phaseolus vulagris ........................................................................................95 Field Support to Missions ........................................................................................... 102 Project: Timor-Leste Agricultural Rehabilitation, Economic Growth and Natural Resource Management ........................................................................................ 102 Participating and Collaborating Scientists and Institutions/Organizations ......................................................................................... 103 National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) ............................................. 103 International Agricultural Research Centers (IARC) ..................................... 106 Training ................................................................................................................................ 107 Degree Programs ............................................................................................................ 107 Non-Degree Programs .................................................................................................. 108 Workshops ........................................................................................................................ 108 iii Project Management ..................................................................................................... 110 Management Entity ....................................................................................................... 110 Activities ............................................................................................................................ 110 Participating Entities .................................................................................................... 110 Financial Summary and Expenditure Report ........................................................ 113 Financial Summary ....................................................................................................... 113 Expenditure Report ....................................................................................................... 113 Field Support, Cost Sharing and Leveraging .................................................. 116 Field Support ................................................................................................................... 116 Cost Sharing ..................................................................................................................... 116 Leveraging ........................................................................................................................ 116 Publications, Presentations and Reports ............................................................ 119 Journal Series and Books ............................................................................................ 119 Presentations and Reports .......................................................................................... 121 Acronyms ............................................................................................................................ 124 iv to infi ltrate into the soil, rather than fl ow overland EXECUTIVE SUMMARY as runoff to carry sediment into streams and rivers. This rain harvesting technology raises crop yields, The World Bankʼs Development Report 2008 reduces risk of crop failure, raises water levels in cites rising food production in sub-Saharan Africa. village wells and enables villagers to grow and Agricultural growth there has accelerated from 2.3 market high value irrigated crops during the dry percent per year in the 1980s to 3.3 percent in the season. (See the Carbon Sequestration Project 1990s and to 3.8 percent per year between 2000 and Progress Report withinwithin tthishis ddocument.)ocument.) WWater,ater, 2005. This rise in food production appears to be retained in soils and aquifers, imparts high stability related to absence of drought and government subsi- to agricultural production systems, and stability, in dies for fertilizer and seeds of improved varieties. turn, enables farmers to invest in fertilizers without Water, nutrients and seeds have always been key fear of crop failures. Next to water, fertilizer is the elements in the war against poverty, but all three input farmers need to sustain profi table yields. In can come and go depending on weather and govern- sub-Saharan Africa and in Southeast Asia fertilizer ment policy. The future welfare of sub-Saharan is expensive so adding the right amount and type African farmers, therefore, still rests in the hands of fertilizer at the proper time and place becomes of factors over which they have little or no control. critical. NuMaSS is a global tool designed to enable What can they do to lessen the risk of drought users to use fertilizers in a timely and cost-effec- and encourage and direct governments to pursue tive manner. (See the NuMaSS Projects Progress sounder economic policy? Resource management Reports within this document and note especially remains a key factor under the control of farmers. the sections on the NuMaSS applications in Africa, In sub-Saharan Africa, water is most often the Asia and Latin America.) resource that limits high and stable food production. Surprisingly it is not lack of water, but its manage- Water control through adoption of the ridge-tillage ment and control that limits agricultural production practice adds stability to the farming system, and there. Based on rainfall distribution and intensity, use of NuMass provides the means to sustain high four regions are recognized in West Africa. Annual productivity. High stability and high productivity are rainfall is less than 400mm in the northern most two properties of sustainable agro-ecosystems. (See Sahara region, increases to values between 400 the Rice-Wheat Project Progress Report withinwithin thisthis - 800mm in the Sahelo-Sudanian region, further document.) A third property of sustainable agricul- increases to 800 - 1000mm in the Sudanian region tural systems is resiliency. Resiliency is the capacity and peaks to 1000 - 1200mm in the Sudan-Guinean of ago-ecosystems to withstand and recover from region. The Sudanian and Sudan-Guniean regions stresses and perturbations imposed on it. receive ample