FACCE MACSUR Knowledge Hub Crop modelling
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: Ctr for Plant Sciences
Abstract
FACCE MACSUR focuses on modelling European agriculture with climate change for food security. The work is organized in three themes on crop, livestock and trade modelling. The partnership consists of 73 partners from 16 countries all over Europe. The overarching challenge is to develop a pan-European capability in the development, use and interpretation of models to perform risk assessments of the impacts of climate change on European agriculture. To address this the following challenges must be met:
1. Identify and address a range of issues between models in different themes to enable their closer integration including issues of scale and data processing.
2. Train a new generation of scientists to work across models which contribute to greater integration of models. This challenge can be described as focusing on the creation of integrated modellers as opposed to integrated models.
3. Determine the contribution that can be made to reducing uncertainty over the impacts of climate change on European food security by adopting integrated models of crop production, animal production and trade.
1. Identify and address a range of issues between models in different themes to enable their closer integration including issues of scale and data processing.
2. Train a new generation of scientists to work across models which contribute to greater integration of models. This challenge can be described as focusing on the creation of integrated modellers as opposed to integrated models.
3. Determine the contribution that can be made to reducing uncertainty over the impacts of climate change on European food security by adopting integrated models of crop production, animal production and trade.
Technical Summary
FACCE MACSUR focuses on modelling European agriculture with climate change for food security. The work is organized in three themes on crop, livestock and trade modelling. The partnership consists of 73 partners from 16 countries all over Europe. The overarching challenge is to develop a pan-European capability in the development, use and interpretation of models to perform risk assessments of the impacts of climate change on European agriculture. To address this the following challenges must be met:
1. Identify and address a range of issues between models in different themes to enable their closer integration including issues of scale and data processing.
2. Train a new generation of scientists to work across models which contribute to greater integration of models. This challenge can be described as focusing on the creation of integrated modellers as opposed to integrated models.
3. Determine the contribution that can be made to reducing uncertainty over the impacts of climate change on European food security by adopting integrated models of crop production, animal production and trade.
The work programme will involve participation in the following activities:
Task C2.4 Networking of field experimentalists for data gathering.
Task C4.3: Development of climate scenarios and assess uncertainties in climate projections
Task C4.4: Development of methods for the probabilistic assessment of climate change impacts on crop production
Task C4.5: Development of a methodology for probabilistic evaluation of adaptation options.
1. Identify and address a range of issues between models in different themes to enable their closer integration including issues of scale and data processing.
2. Train a new generation of scientists to work across models which contribute to greater integration of models. This challenge can be described as focusing on the creation of integrated modellers as opposed to integrated models.
3. Determine the contribution that can be made to reducing uncertainty over the impacts of climate change on European food security by adopting integrated models of crop production, animal production and trade.
The work programme will involve participation in the following activities:
Task C2.4 Networking of field experimentalists for data gathering.
Task C4.3: Development of climate scenarios and assess uncertainties in climate projections
Task C4.4: Development of methods for the probabilistic assessment of climate change impacts on crop production
Task C4.5: Development of a methodology for probabilistic evaluation of adaptation options.
Planned Impact
The project aims to improve our understanding of the uncertainties surrounding the ways in which European agriculture will adapt to and mitigate climate change. It is therefore of direct relevance to policy makers and the producers and users of food in the European Union. The project is very high profile and is certain to attract considerable interest from these communities as it progresses. In order to ensure that we able to meet this demand for information we will integrate dissemination within the project. A website is under development and it is intended that stakeholders will be involved in the major events of the project, beginning with the kick-off meeting and concluding with the final conference. Beyond Europe, it is expected that the activities of this project will also contribute to the parallel, global modelling efforts of the AgMIP consortium.
Organisations
Publications
Challinor AJ
(2018)
Improving the use of crop models for risk assessment and climate change adaptation.
in Agricultural systems
Considine MJ
(2015)
Metabolic responses to sulfur dioxide in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.): photosynthetic tissues and berries.
in Frontiers in plant science
Foyer CH
(2016)
Neglecting legumes has compromised human health and sustainable food production.
in Nature plants
Kunert KJ
(2015)
Potential use of phytocystatins in crop improvement, with a particular focus on legumes.
in Journal of experimental botany
Quain MD
(2015)
Ectopic phytocystatin expression increases nodule numbers and influences the responses of soybean (Glycine max) to nitrogen deficiency.
in Phytochemistry
| Description | The project was designed to enhance European capacity for understanding the uncertainties surrounding the ways in which European agriculture will adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Work on this project directly contributed to the Fifth Assessment report of the IPCC on climate change, which provides an up to date view of the current state of scientific knowledge relevant to climate change. In addition, work on this project has made advances have been made in three important areas. 1.Capacity building: a. The Leeds research team has contributed to the creation of a European community of researchers directed at modelling and understanding the impacts of climate change on European Agriculture. b. We have contributed to the generation of researchers who are capable of interpreting results and understanding modelling tools that operate in the CropM domain of the project. We organised and held an International Conference on Breeding Plants to Cope with Future Climate Change in June 2014. This Conference discussed the contribution of plant science and breeding to maintaining food security in the face of increasing demand and the challenges presented by climate change and examined the role that basic plant science and modelling can play in supporting plant breeding to achieve yield gains and the goal of sustainable agricultural production. The Conference brought together world leading plant scientists, plant breeders, crop modellers and climate modellers to discuss the plasticity of the plant genome and its regulation in relation to climate change. The participants considered how to balance the requirements of intensive agricultural production with the dependence of rural welfare on agricultural productivity. Outputs from this meeting include a Special Issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology and a published Volume in the Aspects of Applied Biology series. c. We have added to the European critical mass in crop modelling by focusing in detail on the challenges to European agriculture. 2. Integrated analysis of the impacts of climate change on European agriculture in a range of pilot studies, together with an analysis of the uncertainties surrounding such prediction. 3. Identification of the range of issues which must be addressed in developing an integrated modelling tool and progress towards the creation of such a tool with the development of selected case studies. |
| Exploitation Route | The Leeds team will be part of the UK Contribution to MACSUR Phase 2. The Leeds team will contribute to CropM and engage in the overall activities of the knowledge hub. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
| Description | CSA in support of a Flagship Application |
| Amount | € 1,000,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Union |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 10/2018 |
| End | 09/2019 |