Modelación de la caña de azúcar en Latinoamérica: Estado del arte y base de datos para parametrización

El objetivo de este informe es de describir el estado del arte de la modelación de la caña de azúcar en América Latina y el Caribe (LAC) y de proporcionar una base de dados que puede servir para la calibración y evaluación de modelos de crecimiento de la caña. La caña de azúcar es una de las especies C4 de gran importancia económica y alimentaria, proporcionando cerca del 75% del azúcar mundial. América Latina y el Caribe constituyen la principal región productora de caña de azúcar del mundo, con más del 30% de la producción de azúcar y el 45% de las exportaciones. La productividad de la caña de azúcar muestra una grande variabilidad entre los países Latinoamericanos, reflejando la diversidad de las condiciones ambientales de cultivos y una gran variabilidad de sistemas de producción. Hay varios modelos de crecimiento de la caña de azúcar, pero sólo dos (APSIM-Sugar y DSSAT / CANEGRO) están efectivamente disponibles para usuarios generales; y estos son los más utilizados en el mundo y en América del Sur. Los estudios sobre modelaje de caña de azúcar en América Latina se iniciaron en la década de 1970. Después de los años 2000, se observó un nuevo impulso, manteniéndose activa hasta la actualidad, con una relativa concentración de trabajos desarrollados en Brasil donde el cultivo tiene mayor importancia socio-económica; pero aún se encuentra en un nivel bastante atrasado en relación a lo que se ha hecho en Australia y Sudáfrica. En comparación con el nivel alcanzado por otros cultivos (por ejemplo, trigo y maíz) se observa que el estado de desarrollo de los modelos, en términos mundiales, es aún más atrasado, existiendo oportunidades para la evolución de los modelos. Para este informe fueran identificados 15 trabajos recientes con potencial de uso de datos para futuros trabajos de desarrollo y calibración de modelos y se obtuvieron datos completos de 4 experimentos con 2 variedades. La distribución geográfica de estos trabajos está concentrada principalmente en Brasil, pero se tiene en Colombia un polo de modelaje que también puede ganar fuerza en los próximos años. La base propuesta, aunque restringida geográficamente, representa la principal zona productora de caña de azúcar de América Latina (y del mundo) con una variación considerable de clima y suelo. La base genética de las variedades presentadas también sugiere que el desarrollo y ajuste de modelos basados en esos datos constituyen un importante primer paso para estudiar los impactos del cambio climático y las opciones de adaptación en la principal zona productora de caña mundial. Iniciativas como EUROCLIMA pueden actuar como polos irradiadores de conocimiento y facilitar la conexión entre los investigadores e instituciones interesados en el tema de la modelación biofísica, acelerando el desarrollo y uso de esas herramientas en América Latina y el Caribe. The objective of this report is to describe the state of the art of sugarcane modelling in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and to provide a database of experimental data that can serve as a basis for the calibration and evaluation of sugarcane growth models. Sugarcane is one of the C4 species of great importance from an economic and food perspective, which provides about 70% of global sugar supplies. Latin America and the Caribbean comprise the world’s most important sugarcane producing and exporting region. Sugarcane yields vary greatly among Latin-American countries, reflecting a great diversity of environmental conditions and a great variety of production systems. Several models of sugarcane growth exist, but only two of these (APSIM-Sugar and DSSAT / CANEGRO are effectively available for general use; and these are the most commonly used in the world and in LAC. The first sugarcane modelling studies in Latin America date from the 1970’s. After the year 2000 a new impulse was observed, which is maintained until today, with a relative concentration of work developed in Brazil where sugarcane is economically most important compared to the other LAC countries. Nevertheless, sugarcane modelling (development and application) in LAC remains well behind Australia and South Africa. In comparison with the level obtained for other crops (e.g. maize, wheat), it is observed that sugarcane modelling is even more behind; which suggests a wide window of opportunities for further development in this area. For this report, 15 recent publications were identified, with potential of data sharing for future model development and calibration; and complete datasets for crop model calibration were obtained from four experiments with two varieties. Geographically, these studies show a concentration in Brazil, but Colombia also has a modelling pool, which may gain strength in the coming years. The datasets collected, even though geographically restricted, represents the main sugarcane producing region of Latin America (and the world), with considerable diversity in climate and soils. The genetic base of the varieties presented also suggests that the development and calibration of models using these data is an important first step to study climate impacts and adaptation options in the world’s main sugarcane producing region. Initiatives such as EUROCLIMA can act as knowledge hubs and facilitate the connection among researchers and institutes that are interested in biophysical modelling, thus accelerating the development and use of modelling tools in Latin America and the Caribbean. Key words: Saccharum, sugar cane, Latin America, simulation models, climate change, database, calibration, evaluation.JRC.D.5-Food Securit

Quantitative methods for integrated food and nutrition security measurements. Lessons to be learned!

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) jointly organized an International Conference on Quantitative Methods for Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Measurements. The conference provided a platform for researchers, academics, professionals and decision-makers to define the state of the art for quantitative measurement of food and nutrition security (F&NS) by identifying the main practical challenges, sharing innovative methods and modelling techniques, and exploring best practices to scale up multi- and cross-sectoral F&NS collaboration and coordination at country, regional and global level. Moreover, in hosting an interdisciplinary forum, the conference offered the opportunity for participants to forge innovative partnerships for the development and promotion of improved methodologies to support evidence-based F&NS policies and decision-makers.JRC.D.5-Food Securit

Modelación del frijol en Latinoamérica: Estado del arte y base de datos para parametrización

Frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) es la leguminosa de grano para consumo humano de mayor producción en el mundo, y es nativo de las Américas, donde juega un papel importante en la dieta. Los ambientes donde se cultiva el frijol varían desde zonas tropicales hasta alta montaña, con diversos hábitos de crecimiento (arbustivo determinado, arbustivo indeterminado, y voluble), y en sistemas de producción desde los tradicionales hasta los altamente tecnificados. Los esfuerzos en modelaje, por tanto, deben empezar desde identificar el tipo de frijol y el sistema objetivo. El frijol es muy sensible al estrés abiótico, hecho que ha animado el modelaje de su posible respuesta bajo escenarios de cambio climático. Se llevó a cabo una revisión de literatura para identificar quince ejercicios de modelaje ejecutados en América Latina, abarcando estudios de crecimiento (tazas de producción de nudos y área foliar), fenología, y de rendimiento. Los modelos empleados en dichos estudios incluyen EcoCrop, CROPGRO-DRYBEAN (implementado en la plataforma DSSAT), y en un caso cada uno, Maxent y CLIMEX. Se describen cuatro estudios en detalle: en los dos países de mayor producción en el mundo (Brasil y México), y en Centroamérica como región altamente vulnerable al cambio climático. Estos estudios concuerdan que la productividad del frijol podría sufrir serios efectos negativos en el transcurso del Siglo XXI a raíz del cambio climático. Finalmente, se informa sobre un ejercicio reciente de recopilar datos históricos de ensayos de frijol en Latinoamérica para alimentar futuros esfuerzos de modelaje. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the grain legume of greatest volume of production for direct human consumption, and is native to the Americas where it plays an important role in the diet of consumers. Bean is cultivated in environments from lowland tropical areas to high mountainous zones; with growth habits ranging from determinate bush, to indeterminate bush, to climbing types; and in production systems varying from traditional low input agriculture to highly technified systems. As such, efforts at modelling should focus on a specific plant type and production system. Bean is very sensitive to abiotic stress, a fact that has motivated modelling of its response in light of the dangers of climate change. A review of literature was carried out revealing fifteen studies in Latin America considering different aspects of plant growth (rates of node and leaf area production), phenology, and yield. Models employed include EcoCrop, CROPGRO (a module within the DSSAT cropping system model), and in one instance each, Maxent and CLIMEX. Three studies in particular are detailed: in the two countries of greatest production in the world (Brazil and Mexico), and one study in Central America as a region under direct threat of climate change. These three studies confirm that bean productivity will likely suffer severe negative effects in the course of the 21st century, as a result of climate change. A recent effort has compiled data from historical yield trials in Latin America as a resource for future modelling efforts.JRC.D.5-Food Securit

Quantitative Methods for Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Measurement

Despite the importance of Food and Nutrition Security, great challenges remain to be addressed worldwide to reduce and eradicate hunger and malnutrition. The most recent report on the State of Food Insecurity in the World (2018) stated that, for developing regions taken as a whole, the share of undernourished people in the total population has recently increased in the period 2015-17 to 10.9% compared to its lowest (10.6%) in 2015. Although there has been substantial progress in the last decade, almost 821 million people are still undernourished globally. In part, the inability to tackle the problems relates to the lack of timely and more spatially explicit information to inform decision-making, humanitarian and development initiatives. On the other hand, monitoring progress of policies and actions to combat hunger and malnutrition requires innovative and practical measurements that take into account food and nutrition security (FNS) updated information. The availability of joint measurements for FNS is still low for the great demand of information in this subject. Nonetheless, some efforts have initiated in recent years by researchers and practitioners. Thus, in 2017 the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) jointly organizing an International Conference on Quantitative Methods for Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Measurements. The conference provided a platform for researchers, academics, professionals and decision makers to define the state of the art for quantitative measurement of food and nutrition security (F&NS). The research work and keynotes presented helped identifying the main practical challenges, innovative methods or modeling techniques, and exploring best practices to scale up multi and cross-sectoral F&NS collaboration and coordination at country, regional and global level. Moreover, in hosting an interdisciplinary forum, the conference offered the opportunity for participants to forge innovative partnerships for the development and promotion of improved methodologies to support evidence-based F&NS policies and decision-making. The conference gathered research work mainly from Africa but also from Asia and included 80 participants from Africa, Asia and Europe. This document summarize the presentations, which included keynotes and research projects, included here according to their order in the program of the conference. Research projects presentations are summarized presenting when possible, their main motivation, methods and results, or else their title and authors for those under publication in scientific journals.JRC.D.5-Food Securit

Summary of climate variability and extremes and their main impacts on agricultural production in 2019

This yearly summary reviews the main climate extremes described by the WMO state of the climate preliminary report for 2019 that had an impact on agricultural production according to JRC’s agricultural early warning system ASAP (Anomaly hotspots of Agricultural Production). Such a summary can be used as a starting point for more detailed analysis of agricultural production problems and their impact on food security as it is done for example by the multi-agency Global Report on Food Crises and the Food Security and Nutrition State in the World. The year 2019 was warmer than 2018 (second warmest on record) and saw major heat waves in several parts of the world. Droughts affected crop and rangeland productivity mainly in Europe, Southern and Eastern Africa, South East Asia and in Australia. Tropical storms and cyclones caused fatalities and major damage to infrastructure and agriculture in the Bahamas and along East Africas coast. High intensity rainfall lead to floods in all continents. The final part of the report includes an oveview of climate extremes affecting crop seasons ongoing in early 2020 as well as a short summary of seasonal forecasts until April 2020.JRC.D.5-Food Securit

MARS Bulletin Vol. 23 No 3 (2015) - Current outlook is predominantly positive

Crop monitoring in EuropeJRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

MARS Bulletin Vol. 23 No 6 (2015) - Continued positive outlook at EU-28 level despite drought concern

Crop monitoring in EuropeJRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

MARS Bulletin Vol. 23 No 4 (2015) - Continued positive outlook

Crop monitoring in EuropeJRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

MARS Bulletin Vol. 23 No 5 (2015) - A season with no serious concerns so far

Crop Monitoring in EuropeJRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

Crop monitoring in Europe - MARS Bulletin Vol. 23 No 10 (2015) - Difficult start for winter crops in Eastern and Northern Europe

Yield forecasts for summer crops at EU-28 level remain low and are comparable to last month’s forecast. September was warmer than usual in northern, eastern and south-eastern Europe and colder than usual in western Europe. October has generally been colder than usual so far, especially during the second dekad, when negative minimum temperatures occurred in many areas of central and eastern Europe. Wetterthan- usual conditions were recorded in south-eastern Europe, south-eastern France, central and southern Italy, northern Germany and several parts of northern Europe. Large areas in south-eastern Europe faced a period of abundant rains slowing down the harvesting activities of maize and sunflower and hampering the sowing of winter crops. Dry conditions have persisted in Poland, Lithuania, western Ukraine and southern Russia. In these regions, the winter crops sown in September germinated under unfavourable conditions which further worsened due to the low temperatures that occurred in October. The sowing of winter cereals has progressed without major problems in the EU’s largest producing states, France, Germany and the UK.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource