1. Review of CRG 2016 meeting, Phoenix AZ
September 2017
34 participants, 17 countries
Croplands Research Group Meeting Report, November
 Discussion on Alliance Flagship projects, and the future development of a Nitrogen Flagship.  Report on the ongoing activities of the Croplands Research Group.  Discussion on the activities and next steps to develop the eight Networks of the Group.  Identification of opportunities for collaboration with the Integrative Research Group.  Called for the nomination of a third Co-Chair to the Group.  Next steps for the Group and discussion about future meetings.

2. Research Group Co-chairs’ Report
Martin Scholten, Harry Clark, Kazuyuki Yagi, Gonzalo Zorrilla, Jane Johnson, Ladislau Martin-Neto, Rosa Mosquera-Losada, Jean-Francois Soussana, Brian McConkey, Lee Nelson
GRA Council meeting, Tsukuba
29 August 2017

3. Team of Co-Chairs with Chair 2017

4. Research Groups

5. Outline of Work

6. Outline of Work updated 2017+

7. Impact driven!

8. Research Group Reports Achievements & Ambitions
GRA Council meeting, Tsukuba
29 August 2017
Research Group Reports Achievements & Ambitions

9. Croplands Research Group: Recent key achievements
CRG meeting, Phoenix, AZ – USA November, 2016
network capacity building
Successfully recruited a third Co-Chair- thank you to Spain for allowing Dr. Rosa Mosquera-Losada to serve.

10. Croplands Research Group: Recent key achievements - Networks
-Landscape management Network: Obtained funds - China and UNEP, granted by National Natural Science Foundation of China. (China and Kenya)/global organizations [International Ecosystem Management Partnership, Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CAS), Institute of Geographic Sciences and Resources Research (CAS), International Center of Tropical Agriculture (CIAT, CGIAR), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI, CGIAR)]
-Conservation Agriculture Network-published factsheet, obtained funds for meta data compilation
-Australia led proposal N2O representing Australian and international collaborators “Asia Pacific Regional Network for Greenhouse Gases” (pending)
for our network for Landscape Management  of Agricultural System (LMAS), this year we secceeded in application for a five-year research project with cooperation between China and UNEP ( ). It is granted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. This project is entitled Effects of Climate and Management Practices on the Yield and Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Maize Cultivation (GHGfom). The GHGfom will involve in three field experimental sites (which are located in a warm temperate region, a cool temperate region and a tropical region), two countries (China, Kenya), five organizations (International Ecosystem Management Partnership, Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CAS), Institute of Geographic Sciences and Resources Research (CAS), International Center of Tropical Agriculture (CIAT, CGIAR), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI, CGIAR)) and, three process-oriented models (Landscape DNDC, CropSyst, CNMM-DNDC). Prof. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl from and Dr. Rolf Sommer are participants representing the CIAT and ILRI and Kenya. It is the initial progress under our network framework to gather together scientists from different regions/organizations of the world to collaborate for developing strategies of climate-smart and environment-friendly agriculture.
At moment, the LMAS net work has no further update, yet.
The GHGfom project proposal abstract is attached as follows for your reference if you need it in preparing for the report document.
As maize is the staple crop feeding the largest population of the world, and the largest forage crop, enhancing its yield is crucial to solve the food security problem. But increasing maize yield may stimulate an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, which is conflict with the purpose of climate change mitigation. To resolve this conflict, climate-smart strategies are required urgently for maize production, aiming simultaneously at high yield and low GHG footprint, which in turn is defined as yield-scaled life-cycle GHG emission. In this project, maize cultivation systems under tropic, warm temperate and cool temperate climates are to be selected for multiple-factorial, long-term field experiments in Kenya and China. Three process-oriented biogeochemical models (CNMM-DNDC, LandscapeDNDC and CropSyst) are to be calibrated and validated by the experimental data. These models are also to be adapted to effective tools for simulation of GHG footprints under given climate conditions and management practices. Based upon simulation with the three adapted models and scenario studies, this joint project is to: a) reveal the maize yield capacities under different climates and their corresponding GHG footprints; b) identify the best integrative management practices that minimizing both the yield gap relative to the capacity and the GHG footprint under the current and predicted future climates; and, c) investigate the effects of extreme climate events and adjusted application of the suplus fertilizer nitrogen from China to the nitrogen-deficit Africa on the yield and GHG footprint for the targeted maize cultivation systems. The achievements of this joint project are expected to provide new knowledge, as well as a model-based tool, to support climate-smart decisions for best management of maize cultivation under both economic globalizing and changing global climate.
Wish you have a very fruitfull conference in Japan and looking forward to seeing you in UK soon.

11. Croplands Research Group: Recent key achievements - Activities
Group activities, GRA news and outcome, Member countries activities (Multi-languages), IPCC, UNFCCC, FAO news and outcome
MAGGnet – continuous to expand metadata content
Working with CRG Conservation Agriculture Network to identify sites for meta-analysis of conservation ag practices.
Creation of a searchable, online meta-database of experimental sites is ongoing (resource limitations an issue).

12. Croplands Research Group: Main ambitions
Enable and support networks
Via the networks continue to develop capacity building through multi-country activities
Conservation Ag – 1) Identify and highlight Conservation AG case studies – peer-reviewed pub. 2) Understand management practises for cover crops which impact soil organic carbon and GHG emissions
Identify how networks can contribute to relevant GRA Flagships (e.g., Soil Carbon Sequestration, GHG Inventory, Possible future Flagships on Nitrous Oxide and Circular food system)

13. Croplands Research Group: Main ambitions
Support CRG activities –
MAGGnet metadata collections of relevant publication
GRAMPS – Modelling platform
Social media activities via Facebook and Website
Literature Database
Enhance communication and coordination among CRG co-chairs, Network leaders and membership
Next meetings:8 September 2017 in United Kingdom, Tentative August 2018 in Brazil – Potential for shared shared session with other RG.

14. Integrated Nutrient Management Network
Conservation Agriculture Network
Landscape management network
Irrigation Efficiency Network
Integrated crop-livestock systems
Agroforestry systems
Peatland management

15. CRG network Country activity Draft fact sheet 10 countries
Integrated Nutrient Management Network
USA
Draft fact sheet
10 countries
Conservation Agriculture Network
Canada
None reported
Landscape management network
China
Irrigation Efficiency Network
Integrated crop-livestock systems
Minimal-
Agroforestry systems
Peatland management
Norway