Soils Newsletter, Vol. 39, No. 1, July 2016

The Soil and Water Management & Crop Nutrition (SWMCN) Subprogramme had a busy start of the year as we are preparing to join the global community to celebrate the International Year of Pulses 2016 (IYP2016). In this year, we will emphasize the work of the Subprogramme on using nitrogen-15 stable isotope for quantifying biological nitrogen fixation in Member States and the roles of pulses in improving soil fertility and in reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission from agricultural production systems. As part of the event of IYP2016, a training course will be held this summer in Seibersdorf on the use of nitrogen-15 techniques for improving nitrogen management in agro-ecosystems. This course will focus in particular on how to assess, with isotopes, the capacity of grain legume crops (pulses) to capture nitrogen from the atmosphere. In addition, a joint event will be organized between SWMCN Subprogramme and the Plant Breeding and Genetic Section on 'Enhancing Pulses for Food Security by Nuclear Applications' before the annual General Conference in September 2016. This event will feature the roles of pulses for food security, poverty reduction and how nuclear applications can contribute towards pulse productivity.