Soils Newsletter, Vol. 36, No. 1, July 2013

The SWMCN Subprogramme is planning to publish the proceedings of approximately 60 papers that were successfully presented at the FAO/IAEA International Symposium on "Managing Soils for Food Security and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation" in Vienna, 23–27 July 2012. With the valuable editorial assistance of Jim Dargie, the previous Director of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division, these papers are currently being reviewed and will be published in December 2013 or early 2014. These proceedings will provide valuable information to Member States on the advances in both nuclear and related techniques used in sustainable land management studies and innovative soil-water-nutrient management practices for climate smart agriculture. Two new coordinated research projects (CRPs) are being launched this year, one titled "Landscape Salinity and Water Management for Improving Agricultural Productivity" and the second titled "Optimizing Soil, Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Integrated Cropping-Livestock Production Systems". The first research coordination meeting (RCM) for the salinity CRP will be held in Vienna from 15–19 July 2013, while the RCM for the integrated cropping-livestock CRP will be held from 22–26 July 2013. The salinity CRP will address an increasing concern in Member States, namely to reduce the impacts of climate change and variability on the widespread increase in landscape water and soil salinity on food production. The integrated cropping-livestock CRP aims to optimize land and water management practices for sustainable food production and conservation of agricultural resources and to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from these integrated systems. Besides coordinating seven CRPs (including two new projects as mentioned above), the SWMCN Subprogramme provides technical support to 51 technical cooperation (TC) projects, including ten regional TC projects and conducts/organizes 12 training courses either in the SWMCN Laboratory in Seibersdorf or in Member States on a range of topics, including agricultural water management, fertilizer and nutrient use efficiency, soil organic carbon management, soil erosion and soil conservation measures. All these courses aim to generate the capacity necessary for Member States to improve land productivity and increase soil resilience to climate change and variability. With increasing global concern on the impacts of climate change and variability on food production and security, the conservation of finite resources such as soil and water for basic needs and the increasing global population and demand for food quantity and quality, the SWMCN Subprogramme is focusing its activities on supporting Member States to meet new challenges by developing appropriate land-water technology packages for climate smart agriculture. You can read more in this Soils Newsletter about these activities, including the modernization of equipment and infrastructure in the SWMCN Laboratory