1. I. RAO, M. PETERS and G. HYMAN
“ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND
MITIGATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
THROUGH TROPICAL FORAGES”

2. CRP7: Climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS)
Tropical Forages Program: Vision
 To feed a global population of 9 billion people by 2050 will require a 70%
increase in global food production and a 50% rise in investments in food,
agriculture and rural development
 Demand for livestock products in developing countries has been more than
doubled for the past 3 decades
 Agricultural practices are responsible for approximately 47% of human-
generated methane emissions and 58% of nitrous oxide emissions
 South-east Asia and South America were identified as two major regions for
technical mitigation potential (>600 and >800 megatonnes of CO2 eq. per year)
 CIAT is well positioned to work with ILRI and other partners to generate
research evidence on mitigation potential of tropical forage-based crop-
livestock systems across regions in the tropics
 This new evidence can be a game changer to meet the expected demand for
livestock products in developing countries (2050)

3. CRP7: Climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS)
GHG emissions from agriculture

4. Global warming potential of main meat categories, as well as
milk and selected plant products for comparison
Product Global warming potential
(kg CO2 –eq per kg of
product)
Beef 12.98
Milk 1.32
Sheep 17.4
Pig 6.35
Poultry 4.57
Bread wheat 0.80
Potato 0.21

5. Outcome Adaptation waterlogging in days of soil water saturation
Maps of
current and
future
waterlogged
Brachiaria areas for
targeting
forage
options

6. CRP7: Climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS)
Theme 1: Adaptation to progressive climate change
 Outcomes 2012 (as agreed in business plan):
 Multisite evaluation of Brachiaria grasses in Colombia (3 sites),
Nicaragua (2 sites) and Panama (1 site) for tolerance to
waterlogging identified 5 Bh accessions with high tolerance and
5 hybrids with moderate tolerance compared with checks
 Evaluation of 20 forage legume accessions for their tolerance to
waterlogging identified 7 accessions with high level of tolerance
 Field evaluation of 18 Brachiaria grasses for drought tolerance in
the Llanos of Colombia identified 4 hybrids that were superior to
their parents during dry season

7. kg MS ha-1
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
BR04/3207
BR06/0584
CIAT 26110
BR04/2069
CIAT 6369
CIAT 16870
BR06/1932
BR02/1794
BR06/1132
CIAT 16880
CIAT 36083
CIAT 16879
BR06/1000
CIAT 26155
BR02/1372
CIAT 16888
BR05/0760
Medium of cuts
BR06/0850
CIAT 26181
 Moderate level with some Brachiaria hybrids
Panama
BR06/0387
BR06/1454
CIAT 26145
 Higher level observed with B. humidicola accessions
CIAT 16890
CIAT 26159
CIAT 26411
CIAT 26427
CIAT 16891
CIAT 6133
CIAT 26151
CIAT 26430
CIAT 679
CIAT 26570
Waterlogging tolerant Brachiaria genotypes in

8. CRP7: Climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS)
(Tropical Forages Program: Activity Plan – 2013-2015)
1.1 Adapted Farming systems to changing climate conditions (Milestone)
Activity (Region / Year) Deliverables
Brachiaria grasses and tropical forage • Five Brachiaria grasses and two tropical forage
legumes tolerant to drought or legumes that are adapted to changing climate and
waterlogging are integrated into production market conditions developed
systems (LAC, plus SEA, EA / 2013) • Field testing of two selected forage options in
systems
Multi-site field evaluation and system • Performance of new Brachiaria grasses and tropical
integration of Brachiaria grasses and forage legumes at production system level quantified
tropical forage legumes for drought and • A journal article published
waterlogging (LAC, plus SEA, EA / 2014)
Role of drought and/or waterlogging • A summary report made available;
tolerant Brachiaria grasses and tropical • A policy brief developed for adapting forage-based
forage legumes in improving adaptive systems to climate change
capacity of forage-based systems
determined using socially and gender-
disaggregated participatory methods
(Global / 2015)

9. CRP7: Climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS)
Theme 3: Pro-poor climate change mitigation
 Outcomes 2012 (as agreed in business plan):
 Genetic variability in biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) was observed
among 122 hybrids of Brachiaria humidicola under field conditions at Popayan
 Field evaluations of BNI activity in soil among native savanna, improved and
degraded pastures in 9 farms across the Llanos of Colombia indicated high BNI
activity in long-term B. humidicola pastures
 Field evaluations of carbon accumulation in soil (up to 100 cm depth) among
native savanna, improved and degraded pastures in 9 farms across the Llanos
of Colombia confirmed previous observations by showing 1 to 3 t/ha/year of
soil C accumulation in improved pastures compared to native savanna

10. Genotypic differences in soil nitrification rates in plots
of B. humidicola hybrids at Popayán, Cauca.
[NO2--N (mg/Kg soil/day)]
Controls
Nitrification rate
Genotype
www.ciat.cgiar.org Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor

11. Para averiguar:
cuales opciones de
reducción de
emisiones o
acumulación de
carbono son
atractivas
(factibles).

12. Deforestación y cambio en el uso de la tierra: cambio en las reservas de C
Estimación de las emisiones
Cambio
∆C Área de de las
Paisaje cambios reservas
de C
Cambio de las DATOS DE LA FACTOR DE
reservas de C ACTIVIDAD EMISIONES
en el paisaje Área de Cambios de la
(t C año-1) cambios entre reserva de C
la cobertura entre la
del suelo 1 y cobertura del
la 2 (ha) suelo 1 y la 2
(t C ha-1)
http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol4.html

13. Cambios de uso de la Reservas de Carbono Costos y Beneficios:
tierra
Teledetecccion y Estudios de suelos: Equipo Encuesta CIAT-Corpoica
entrevistas con Aracely “Baseline”
agricultores
¿Cómo es la estructura del manual?

14. Figura 5. Ejemplo del tipo
de información enviada por
los productores
participantes en el proyecto
de secuestro de carbono
(izquierda) en 2011, e
incorporación de esta
información al SIG (derecha).

15. Figura 6. Sistema en línea mostrando límites y parcelas de fincas participantes en
el estudio de secuestro de C en los Llanos Orientales de Colombia, en 2011.

16. Figura 7. Aplicación para hacer encuestas en línea y registrar notas sobre parcelas
individuales y otras partes de la finca.

17. T3: Pro-poor climate change mitigation:
C sequestration at the Llanos Orientales (2011)
180
 Results: Improved pasture
Pasto Mejorado
160 Improved pasture (degraded)
Pasto mejorado degradado
 Higher C stocks in well Native Savanna
Sabana Nativa
Almacenamiento ha-1C (t ha-1)
140
managed improved
pastures 120
 Higher potential of C C stock (t de )
100
accumulation in 80
Puerto Gaitán (higher
precipitation ?) 60
40
20
0
(a) Puerto López (b) Puerto Gaitán (c) Average
Promedio

18. Precio Internacional de Carbono

19. CRP7: Climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS)
(Tropical Forages Program: Activity Plan – 2013-2015)
3.3 Test and identify desirable on-farm practices and their landscape-level implications
(Milestone)
Activity (Region / Year) Deliverables
Testing potential of tropical forage options to • Nitrification inhibition, N2O emission and C
mitigate climate change through reducing N2O sequestration potential of pasture based systems
and methane (CH4) emissions and enhancing C (natural, and degraded and improved pastures) defined
sequestration (LAC, potential SEA / 2013) • Potential for reduced CH4 emissions through improved
forages quantified
Deploying and learning of the potential of • N2O emission and C sequestration potential of forage
tropical forage options to mitigate climate based systems including trees and shrubs quantified
change through reducing N2O and CH4 • Potential for reduced CH4 emissions through improved
emissions and enhancing C sequestration (LAC, forages defined
potential SEA / 2014) • A journal article published on application of forage
based mitigation options in systems
A tool developed to analyze trade-offs of • Costs and benefits of different forage-based mitigation
forage-based mitigation strategies in terms of strategies analyzed at landscape level
social (including gender), economic and • A report made available
environmental aspects at landscape level • A policy brief developed on mitigation potential of
(Global / 2015) forage-based agricultural systems

20. CRP7: Climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS)
Tropical Forages Program: Challenges
 Develop suitability atlas for brachiaria grasses in the tropics
 Spatial analysis showing the benefits for breeding for individual and combined
stress factors of drought and waterlogging
 Multi-site evaluation of tropical forage options (grasses and legumes) for their
tolerance to drought and waterlogging with farmer participation (including
gender analysis) across regions (Africa, Asia, LAC) – CCAFS baseline sites?
 Determining the role of stress adapted tropical forages in improving adaptive
capacity of forage-based crop-livestock systems using socially and gender-
disaggregated participatory methods
 Standardized protocols for quantifying soil carbon accumulation, and methane
and nitrous oxide emissions
 Research evidence on mitigation potential of improved forage options in
forage-based crop-livestock systems across the tropics
 Develop strategies for using payment / compensation for ecosystem services as
incentives to enhance adoption and management of improved forage options

21. CRP7: Climate change, agriculture and food security (CCAFS)
Tropical Forages Program: Opportunities
 Expansion of CCAFS into LAC as an additional focus area
 Improved capacity in DAPA Research Area for suitability mapping, crop and
system modeling, socio-economic and gender analysis, and policy implications
 Expanded tropical forage research capability in the regions
 Experience of CATIE (CRP1.2), CIPAV and other partners on silvopstoral systems
 New strategy of SOILS Research Area with systems perspective at farm and
landscape levels
 Multiple stress tolerant forage and crop options from the Agrobiodiversity
Research Area