MAGGnet: An international network to foster mitigation of agricultural greenhouse gases

Authors: Liebig, Mark; Franzluebbers, Alan; ALVAREZ, C - National Institute Of Agricultural Technology(INTA); CHIESA, T - Universidad De Buenos Aires; LEWCZUK, N - National Institute Of Agricultural Technology(INTA); PINEIRO, G - Universidad De Buenos Aires; POSSE, G - National Institute Of Agricultural Technology(INTA); YAHDJIAN, L - Universidad De Buenos Aires; GRACE, P - Queensland University Of Technology; CABRAL, O MACHADO - Embrapa; MARTIN-NETO, L - Embrapa; RODRIGUES, R DE ARAGAO - Embrapa; AMIRO, B - University Of Manitoba; ANGERS, D - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada; HAO, X - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada; OELBERMANN, M - University Of Waterloo; TENUTA, M - University Of Manitoba; MUNKHOLM, L - Aarhus University; REGINA, K - Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE); CELLIER, P - French National Institute For Agricultural Research; EHRHARDT, F - French National Institute For Agricultural Research; RICHARD, G - French National Institute For Agricultural Research; DECHOW, R - Thunen Institute Of Climate-Smart Agriculture; AGUS, F - Indonesian Soil Research Institute; WIDIARTA, N - Indonesian Center For Food Crop Research And Development; SPINK, J - Oak Park Crops Research Centre; BERTI, A - Universita Di Padova; GRIGNANI, CARLO - University Of Turin; MAZZONCINI, MARCO - University Of Pisa; ORSINI, ROBERTO - Polytechnic University Of Marche; ROGGERO, PIER PAOLO - Dipartimento Di Agraria, Universita Degli Studi Di Sassari; SEDDAIU, GIOVANNA - Dipartimento Di Agraria, Universita Degli Studi Di Sassari; TEI, FRANCESCO - University Of Perugia; VENTRELLA, DOMENICO - Consiglio Per La Ricerca In Agricoltura E L'Analisi Dell'economia Agraria, Unita Di Ricerca Per I S; VITALI, GIULIANO - Universita Di Bologna; KISHIMOTO-MO, A - National Institute For Agro-Environmental Sciences; SHIRATO, Y - National Institute For Agro-Environmental Sciences; SUDO, S - National Institute For Agro-Environmental Sciences; SHIN, J - National Academy Of Agricultural Science; SCHIPPER, L - University Of Waikato; SAVE, R - Institute Of Agrifood Research And Technology; LEIFELD, J - Agroscope; SPADAVECCHIA, L - Department For Environment Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA); YELURIPATI, J - The James Hutton Institute; Del Grosso, Stephen - Steve; RICE, C - Kansas State University; SAWCHIK, J - National Agricultural Research Institute(INIA)

Submitted to: Carbon Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2016
Publication Date: 5/31/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/63066
Citation: Liebig, M.A., Franzluebbers, A.J., Alvarez, C., Chiesa, T.D., Lewczuk, N., Pineiro, G., Posse, G., Yahdjian, L., Grace, P., Cabral, O.R., Martin-Neto, L., Rodrigues, R.R., Amiro, B., Angers, D., Hao, X., Oelbermann, M., Tenuta, M., Munkholm, L.J., Regina, K., Cellier, P., Ehrhardt, F., Richard, G., Dechow, R., Agus, F., Widiarta, N., Spink, J., Berti, A., Grignani, C., Mazzoncini, M., Orsini, R., Roggero, P., Seddaiu, G., Tei, F., Ventrella, D., Vitali, G., Kishimoto-Mo, A., Shirato, Y., Sudo, S., Shin, J., Schipper, L., Save, R., Leifeld, J., Spadavecchia, L., Yeluripati, J., Del Grosso, S.J., Rice, C., Sawchik, J. 2016. MAGGnet: An international network to foster mitigation of agricultural greenhouse gases. Carbon Management. doi:10.1080/17583004.2016.1180586.

Interpretive Summary: Research networks play a central role in identifying how agriculture can mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to expected climate changes. In 2012, a GHG research network referred to as MAGGnet (Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Network) was established within the Croplands Research Group of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA). With involvement from 46 alliance member countries, MAGGnet seeks to provide a platform for the inventory and analysis of agricultural GHG mitigation research throughout the world. As a ‘first step’, metadata were compiled from 315 experimental studies in 20 countries using a standardized spreadsheet. Most studies were completed (74%) and conducted within a 1-3 year duration (68%). Soil carbon and nitrous oxide emissions were measured in over 80% of the studies. Among plant variables, grain yield was assessed across studies most frequently (56%), followed by stover (35%), and root (9%) biomass. Despite its recent emergence as a GHG network, MAGGnet has contributed to modeling efforts and has spurred other research groups in the GRA to collect experimental site metadata using an adapted spreadsheet. The value of MAGGnet to the scientific community will be directly proportional to its capacity to provide useful information for the analysis of GHG mitigation data. With time and continued effort, MAGGnet can serve to further GHG mitigation science through new collaborations among contributing members.

Technical Abstract: Research networks provide a framework for review, synthesis, and systematic testing of theories by multiple scientists across international borders critical for addressing global-scale issues. In 2012, a greenhouse gas (GHG) research network referred to as MAGGnet (Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Network) was established within the Croplands Research Group of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA). With involvement from 46 alliance member countries, MAGGnet seeks to provide a platform for the inventory and analysis of agricultural GHG mitigation research throughout the world. To date, metadata from 315 experimental studies in 20 countries have been compiled using a standardized spreadsheet. Most studies were completed (74%) and conducted within a 1-3 year duration (68%). Soil carbon and nitrous oxide emissions were measured in over 80% of the studies. Among plant variables, grain yield was assessed across studies most frequently (56%), followed by stover (35%), and root (9%) biomass. MAGGnet has contributed to modeling efforts and has spurred other research groups in the GRA to collect experimental site metadata using an adapted spreadsheet. With continued growth and investment, MAGGnet will leverage limited-resource investments by any one country to produce an inclusive, globally-shared meta-database focused on the science of GHG mitigation. Enhanced understanding of management effects on GHG emissions, along with improved model predictions, reflect potential contributions from MAGGnet that can serve to support both adoption of best practices by producers and informed decision making by policymakers.