How can agriculture help achieve the 2°C climate change target? Delivering food security while reducing emissions in the global food system November 2, 2015 Event co-sponsored by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security and the World Bank Delivering on a transformed food sector: Transforming cereal crop production Martin Kropff, Director General, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)

1. Climate change:
Mitigation in agricultural crop
production
Martin Kropff
CIMMYT Director General

2. Options for Mitigation
• Best system for specific environment:
– Optimization at high input levels: eco-efficiency
– Careful with marginal lands
– Rehabilitation degraded soils (OM and no-till)
– Reduction per unit yield!
• Reducing methane emission from rice and saving water
• Carbon fixation in soil

3. USA: growth came to an
end in 1980.
China: beginning to level
off.
India: s9ll on the rise,
growing 5 % annually.
Global trends in fertilizer use

4. N fertiliser chain accounts for 2-6%
of total GHG emission in China
GHG emissions cuts of 160 – 360 Tg N annually possible
from changes through the N fer9lizer chain.
Zhang et al (2013) PNAS 110 (21), 8375 - 8380

5. Nitrogen fertilizer use = Energy use
Mueller et al., Nature 2012

6. Source: Strategies for Mi9ga9ng Climate Change in Agriculture:.
California Environment Assocs. (2014).
Mitigation opportunities 2030
(Mt CO2e)

7. Precision nutrient management
• Decision support soWware:
Precision fer9lizer
recommenda9ons for
smallholders
• Op9cal sensors: e.g.
Greenseeker –reduced N use,
same yield in wheat, 60 kgN/
ha
Examples of technologies for precision N management

8. Envisioning the future:
CA, diversification and PA =
CSISA research platform @ CSSRI, Karnal, India
11% Crop Yield
Increase
32% Profitability
Increase
71% IrrigaAon
Decrease
46% Energy
Decrease

9. 0.25
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
0.50
0.55
Initial
Removal RW
Burning RW
Burning R
Retention R
Retention RW
Incorporation R
Incorporation RW
Initial
OrganicCarbon,%
After 4 years
RK Sharma et al, DWR
Residue management & soil organic
carbon in rice-wheat rotation

10. Case study in Haryana, India:
• Profitable
- Payback period on
investment can be < 1 year
Laser Land Leveling
Source: Jat et al (2015)
• Reduced footprint
- Direct GHG emissions (83,100 MT of CO2eq/annum) through
reduced water req. and so fuel for pumping and reduced
cul9va9on 9me
- Reduced water use: 1 Km3/an
- Reduced nutrient loss because of improved runoff control

11. Source: Jat et al (2015)
Laser Land Leveling:
Evidence from Haryana, India

12. Climate-smart villages in India:
‘Growing’ solar power as a remunerative crop
Source: T. Shah, IWMI

13. Community and individual solar irrigation
systems are being tried in Bihar
Impact of solar irrigation systems
on maize in Bihar
Solar irrigation in Bihar promotes
climate smart agriculture
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
Yield, t/ha Income, Benefit:
Cost ra9o
GHG emissions,
CO2eq, t/ha
Emission
Intensity, kg CO2
EQ/ kg yield
Diesel pump Solar pump

14. Witnessed
rela9on
Mitigation: Rice and methane
Higher produc>on, less methane
Total biomass of rice yield
Methane emission
Expected
rela9on

15. Alternate-Wetting- and-Drying
(AWD)
• Intermittent Flooding/ Drainage
• Single or Multiple Flooding/ Drainage
Slide courtesy of R. Wassmann
Synonyms:

16. Suitability Class
S_1
S_2
S_3
LS
-
Suitability maps in the Philippines
and Vietnam have supported
na9onal planning for scaling up of
mi9ga9on in paddy rice.
Collabora9ve effort with the CCAC
in Vietnam, Bangladesh and
Colombia.
Planning mitigation in paddy rice
Slide courtesy of R. Wassmann
Suitability Map-
Dry Season

17. Mobile phone app operation
Provide
management
recommendation
Cloud based server
Rice Crop Manager
• Nutrients
• Weeds
• Irrigation
• ….
Obtain site-specific
information from
farmer/ operator
New Modules
• GHG emission
calculator
• Climate-adjusted
yield targets
Climate-Informed Rice Crop and Low Emission Manager
=> CIRCLE Manager

18. • Investment in crop R&D to realize triple win
• Mi9ga9on in Agriculture possible:
– Capture increased food demand by increasing yields:
• Sustainable Intensifica9on to save forests
– Right system at the right place
– No burning residues
– Precision management to minimize use energy, fer9lizers,
etc.
– Link to other technologies (solar panels)
Conclusions

19. Thank you
for your
interest!