Developing metrics and use of long term datasets in grassland systems
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: Sustainable Agriculture Sciences-NW
Abstract
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Publications
Rivero M
(2021)
Key traits for ruminant livestock across diverse production systems in the context of climate change: perspectives from a global platform of research farms
in Reproduction, Fertility and Development
Loick N
(2021)
Application of a triple 15N tracing technique to elucidate N transformations in a UK grassland soil
in Geoderma
Rovira P
(2020)
The 'Palo a Pique' Long-Term Research Platform: First 25 Years of a Crop-Livestock Experiment in Uruguay
in Agronomy
Harris P
(2020)
Influence of Geographical Effects in Hedonic Pricing Models for Grass-Fed Cattle in Uruguay
in Agriculture
Ciganda V
(2018)
Soil nitrous oxide emissions from grassland: Potential inhibitor effect of hippuric acid
in Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
Takahashi T
(2018)
Roles of instrumented farm-scale trials in trade-off assessments of pasture-based ruminant production systems.
in Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience
| Description | The joint study using Rothamsted's Broadbalk LTE and INIA's La Estanzuela LTE tries to achieve a three-way decomposition of nutrients introduced into a farming system: used for production, stored as part of the nutrient stock in the soil, or lost to the environment without being utilised. The advancement made over the last 12 months has identified a previously missing interlinkages between soil chemistry (organic carbon), soil physics (porosity) and soil biology (microbial abundance), with inorganic plots showing a significantly higher level of nitrous oxide emissions compared to organic plots with similar levels of nitrogen inputs. A work is ongoing to translate this research into 'fit-for-purpose' metrics of sustainability, which can inform commercial farmers in both countries about agronomically and environmentally sustainable crop rotation and fertilisation strategies. |
| Exploitation Route | The metrics will be applied in our BBSRC funded ISPG Soils to Nutrition. They will also be applied in commercial farms to assess their sustainability. Extrapolation to landscape scale will be done with these metrics as part of the Soils to Nutrition ISPG. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Description | A workshop was held in 19/12/2019. The 3-day international workshop on Spatial Analysis in R took the participants through: (a) core concepts of spatial data and its display, (b) key methods of spatial analysis and (c) a selection of spatial regression techniques and associated inference. It was conducted by Prof Lex Comber who holds a chair in Spatial Data Analytics at the School of Geography and Leeds Institute for Data Analytics and Dr Paul Harris who is a Senior Research Scientist at Rothamsted Research. There were 25 workshop participants and the workshop feedback was excellent. Pablo Terra visited North Wyke for one week in September 2019 to get an insight of the research carried out at the NWFP regarding sustainability metrics with the aim of applying similar measurements in one of the INIA's LTE "Palo a Pique". This LTE started in 1995 and it is assessing the sustainability of crop-livestock rotations. He also presented the other relevant crop-livestock rotation for Uruguay: rice-pasture. In this regard, Jesus Castillo is carrying out his PhD programme assessing the full chain nitrogen budget and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of this relevant rotation system at several scales (LTE, farm, region, country) and he will also analyse the spatial variability of NUE at the field scale. Recently, in the framework of the Global Farm Platform, an international workshop was held in North Wyke (24-26 Feb 2020) where representatives from selected farm platforms around the globe attended (Brazil, Uruguay, US, France, Ireland, UK, Kenya, China, Australia, New Zealand). Walter Ayala represented the Palo a Pique farm platform and in a publication showed that cropping systems in Uruguay reduced soil organic carbon (SOC) compared with permanent pastures, and that perennial pastures rotating with crops were critical to mitigate SOC losses. The paper highlights that the prediction of trade-offs between environmental, economic, and production indicators can be addressed through monitoring and modelling, enabling the timely anticipation of adverse sustainability issues on commercial farms. A joint study using Rothamsted's Broadbalk LTE and INIA's La Estanzuela LTE was established through BBSRC Partnering Award. Led by Dr Taro Takahashi (RRes) and Valentina Rubio (INIA), this research tries to achieve a three-way decomposition of nutrients introduced into a farming system: used for production, stored as part of the nutrient stock in the soil, or lost to the environment without being utilised. The advancement made over the last 24 months has identified a previously missing interlinkages between soil chemistry (organic carbon), soil physics (porosity) and soil biology (microbial abundance), with inorganic plots showing a significantly higher level of nitrous oxide emissions compared to organic plots with similar levels of nitrogen inputs. A work is ongoing to translate this research into 'fit-for-purpose' metrics of sustainability, which can inform commercial farmers in both countries about agronomically and environmentally sustainable crop rotation and fertilisation strategies. A study using the DAYCENT model produced a measure of resource use efficiency, nitrous oxide emission factor, leached and emitted nitrogen per unit product to encompass yield gain and losses relating to nitrogen. Three ryegrass pastures with traditional management for sheep grazing and silage were studied showing that the metrics between long-term ryegrass swards were similar. Field system simulation using climate projections indicated an increase in nitrogen loss to water and air, with a corresponding increase in biomass. More recently a publication in collaboration between Rothamsted and INIA, data from the Broadbalk experiment in Rothamsted showed that the influence of organic matter on arable soil nitrogen transformations can be decoded by integrating metagenomic data with soil structural parameters. Our approach provides a mechanistic explanation of why organic matter is effective in reducing nitrous oxide losses while supporting system resilience. The relationship between organic carbon, soil-connected porosity and flow rates at scales relevant to microbes suggests that important increases in nutrient-use efficiency could be achieved at lower organic carbon stocks than currently envisaged. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Description | Revision of emission factors for the greenhouse gas inventory in the UK |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | The UK is an Annex I country for the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions to the United Framework Convention for Climate change. As such, the UK is committed to reducing its emissions according to International Agreements (for ex. the Kyoto protocol). The development of new Emission Factors for agriculture has a impact not only on the accounting of national emissions, but also on the application of mitigation strategies from the understanding on where the emissions come from, also to show compliance with the international demands for reduction. |
| Description | GPLER Discovery of new nitrification inhibitors to mitigate nitrous oxide emissions in grazed pastures |
| Amount | $25,500 (NZD) |
| Organisation | Global Partnerships in Livestock Emissions Research |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Start | 07/2018 |
| End | 06/2019 |
| Description | International Exchange programme - The Royal Society |
| Amount | £11,982 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2023 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | STARS Centre for Doctoral Training-Harry Barrat |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/M009106/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2017 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Description | Soils to Nutrition, S2N as a Co-I |
| Amount | £8,500,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | S2N ISPG |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2017 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Title | Developing of metrics of sustainability |
| Description | We have started developing the metrics of sustainability from agricultural systems. A database has been compiled that will be populated with detailed information from experimental farms in Uruguay and the UK. These metrics will be tested in commercial farms. |
| Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - mammalian in vivo |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The developed metrics will be applicable to industry, particularly farms, fertiliser business and for policy. |
| Title | Compilation of long term experiments data for developing of metrics |
| Description | Data from the Rothamsted Research and INIA in Uruguay long term experiments has started been compiled for later analyses |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This very rich data source will be used initially for developing metrics of sustainability and will also be supplied to modellers and any other researchers that can make use of it. |
| Title | Farm Platform Data Portal |
| Description | The Farm Platform Data Portal contains core data for the Farm Platform and facilitates access to the data to both Rothamsted Research staff and the wider research community. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This database allows open access to researchers to utilise the core data generated from the Farm Platform National Capability. The database was first released in 2016 and currently there are ~120 registered users of the data portal |
| URL | https://nwfp.rothamsted.ac.uk/ |
| Title | GWmodel R package |
| Description | GWmodel R package is a collection spatial statistical tools for exploring spatial heterogeneity. Continually developed since its release in 2013. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | "GWmodel" produced 66,200 Google hits. |
| URL | https://www.jstatsoft.org/article/view/v063i17 |
| Title | New emission factors for nitrous oxide and methane emissions from agriculture in the UK |
| Description | From a large programme of research, we have developed new emission factors for nitrous oxide emissions from soils and manure; methane emissions from livestock and manures. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data has been included in the inventory of greenhouse gases from the UK to estimate emissions |
| URL | http://www.environmentdata.org/archive/ghgno:676 |
| Description | Agro-ecological factors influencing prices of cattle products |
| Organisation | INIA Uruguay |
| Country | Uruguay |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Statistical analysis of data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided data for the statistical analysis above |
| Impact | Data sharing for further analysis of the data provided by INIA. Disciplines are economics, statistics, agronomy. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Animal behaviour influence on N2O emissions |
| Organisation | University of Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The idea of relating emissions of nitrous oxide to animal behaviour, joining my expertise in atmospheric emissions with the behaviour knowledge of the colleague in Texas |
| Collaborator Contribution | The understanding of animal behaviour |
| Impact | Presentations in conferences as listed in the relevant section of this award |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Title | GWmodel R package |
| Description | A suite of spatial statistical modelling tools See https://www.jstatsoft.org/article/view/v063i17 |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | 66200 Google hits |
| URL | https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=GWmodel |
| Description | 3rd Conference of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Animal Agriculture Production Systems of Latin America (GALA 2017) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This conference gathers researchers in Latin America working on greenhouse gases and agriculture. Laura Cardenas gave 2 presentations: 'N2O emissions pathways from soils under grazing'; 'What and How' during the conference that took place in October 4th to 6th, 2017 in Colonia, Uruguay |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | AAB Conference on Sustainable Intensification |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A presentation was given in Harpenden, 28-30 Novemberby T Takahashi at the AAB Conference on Sustainable Intensification entitled: Redefining sustainability: novel metrics to evaluate farming systems based on the dynamic flow of nutrients |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | BBSRC International Partnering Award Workshop with INIA, Uruguay. 2-4th December 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | This was a workshop to share research ideas and develop collaborations between INIA and Rothamsted Research as part of the BBSRC Partnering Award between the two Institutes. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Exchange visit from Uruguay to the UK, 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Visit by Valentina Rubio from INIA Uruguay. she is a master's student who fulfilled the exchange visit from Uruguay to the UK and during her visit she participated in the activities:1) 4-7 September: SOM Conference; 2) 8 September: Meeting statisticians at Harpenden; 3) 11-28 September: Metrics work at NW; 4) 29 September: Meeting with statisticians at Harpenden. Valentina worked mostly with Taro Takahashi compiling datasets from the UK and Uruguay to estimate metrics of sustainability |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | First workshop of the metrics development project-Partnering Award INIA and Rothamsted |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A workshop was help in two locations, at North Wyke in Devon and Harpenden in Hertfordshire. Five visitors from INIA in Uruguay attended and presentations were given by them as well as members of Rothamsted in both sites. The workshop was open to all members of Rothamsted staff and about 15 talks were given. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Global Roundtable of Sustainable Beef |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited to give the keynote at the Global roundtable of sustainable beef in Kilkenny Ireland on 'Future Perspectives of Sustainable Agriculture' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Invited talk at EAAP - European Federation of Animal Science Annual Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited to give the key note address for the Livestock and Farming Commission of EAAP on 'Agricultural sustainability metrics based on land required for production of essential human nutrients' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Invited visit by Regional Government of Chongching PR China |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited by the Regional Government of Chongching PR China to discuss aspects of sustainable livestock production at a gathering of party members and Scientists at Rhongchang. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | NFU Cymru - Future of the Uplands |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | NFU Cymru hosted a discussion panel debate at the Royal Welsh show where I presented our research on Sustainable Livestock systems which covered many aspects of projects and research we are undertaking to determine the role and impact of livestock in a sustainable food chain and future environmental policy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | SRUC Research Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited to give a key address to all staff at SRUC as part of their research day on the research we have undertaken at Rothamsted on Sustainable Livestock Systems and soil health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Sustainable Intensification Conference, Harpenden, 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of paper: - Cardenas, Takahashi, Harris, Mead, Lee. Redefining sustainability: novel metrics to evaluate farming systems based on the dynamic flow of nutrients |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | The Future of Long-Term Experiments in Agricultural Science |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of the paper The Future of Long-Term Experiments in Agricultural Science in Rothamsted Conference Centre, 21 May, 2018 by TARO TAKAHASHI, VALENTINA RUBIO, ANDREW MEAD, LAURA CARDENAS, MARGARET GLENDINING, FERNANDO LATTANZI, ANDY MACDONALD, TOM MISSELBROOK, JOSE TERRA and MICHAEL LEE |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Visit from Uruguay to the UK, May 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Visit by Jose Terra and Jesus Castillo from INIA, Uruguay on 18/5/17. A small group discussed the development of metrics of sustainability and what datasets can be used for this. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Visit from Uruguay to the UK, October 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Visit by Bruno Lanfranco from INIA, Uruguay, between 10-13 October 2016, included a seminar given by Bruno, |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Visit from Uruguay to the UK, September 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Visit by Ignacio Macedo and Virginia Pravia from INIA, Uruguay on 8/9/17, where we discussed common areas of research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |