RCN: Plant Nitrogen Network (PlaNNet);Coordinating Research on Plant Nitrogen for Sustainable and Productive Agriculture

氮（N）是许多生物分子的基本元素，对地球上的生命至关重要。 氮是植物生产食物、饲料、纤维和燃料的关键驱动力，土壤中氮不足往往限制农业生产力。 工业/合成氮肥已经消除了许多农业系统中的氮限制，尽管氮肥的过度使用威胁到环境，并最终威胁到这些系统的可持续性。 另一方面，数百万资源贫乏的农民，特别是发展中国家的农民，买不起昂贵的氮肥来提高产量，因此作物产量非常低。 国际上越来越认识到这两个主要问题与N在农业以及需要协调资金和研究，以解决在国际一级的问题。 该项目将建立植物氮素网络（PlaNNet），这是一个由美国和世界各地的研究人员和其他知识产权持有者组成的NSF研究协调网络（RCN），它将在设计和实施研究与开发（R D）战略方面发挥主导作用，以解决世界各地农业中的氮素问题。 全球挑战需要全球应对。 要在2050年养活90亿人口，并在遥远的未来保持稳定的粮食供应，就需要更可持续的解决方案来解决农业的氮问题。 缺乏与植物氮素相关的研发协调，导致全球努力不够集中、高效和有效。 该研究中心旨在协调与植物氮素供应和利用有关的研究活动，其长期目标是提高农业氮素利用的效率和可持续性。 研究的挑战和机遇包括提高作物和牧草的氮利用效率（NUE），以及在自然和合成系统中利用生物固氮。 优化农业氮肥利用还需要改进农业管理措施。 PlaNNet将有助于将基础研究人员和应用研究人员联系起来，以促进共同努力解决农业的N-问题。研究协调网络（RCN）的活动将包括：（i）开发一个网络网站，其中包括美国和世界各地参与植物氮相关研究的数百名研究人员的信息、合作机会和教育资源; ㈡年度讲习班-无围墙，即虚拟会议，将有数百人参加介绍、讨论，与植物氮研究和发展有关的协商一致意见的建立;（iii）在主要会议上举办的卫星讲习班，重点讨论植物氮和农业的具体方面。 区域网络的活动将由一个PlaNNet指导委员会（SC）协调，该委员会将由氮研究界的广泛代表组成，在不同的人口群体中保持平衡。

Nitrogen (N) is an essential element of many biomolecules and is crucial for life on earth. Nitrogen is a key driver of plant productivity for food, feed, fiber and fuel, and insufficient N in soils often limits agricultural productivity. Industrial/synthetic N-fertilizers have removed the N-limitation in many agricultural systems, although over-use of N-fertilizers threatens the environment and, ultimately, the sustainability of such systems. On the other hand, millions of resource poor farmers, especially in developing countries, cannot afford the expensive N-fertilizers to boost production and as a result suffer from very low crop yields. There is growing international awareness of these two main problems associated with N in agriculture as well as the need to coordinate funding and research to solve the problems at an international level. This project will establish the Plant Nitrogen Network (PlaNNet), an NSF Research Coordination Network (RCN) of researchers and other stake-holders within the U.S.A. and around the world that will play a leading role in designing and implementing research and development (R&D) strategies to address the problems of N in agriculture in different parts of the world. Global challenges require global responses. Feeding 9 billion people in 2050 and maintaining stable food supplies into the distant future will require more-sustainable solutions to agriculture's N problems. Lack of coordination in R&D related to plant-N results in a global effort that is not as focused, efficient, and effective as it could be. This RCN aims to coordinate research activities related to the supply and utilization of N by plants with the long-term objective of enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of N-use in agriculture. Research challenges and opportunities include improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crop and pasture plants and exploiting biological nitrogen fixation in both natural and synthetic systems. Optimization of N-use in agriculture will also require improved agriculture management practices. PlaNNet will help to connect basic and applied researchers to facilitate a concerted effort to solve agriculture's N-problems. Research coordination network (RCN) activities will include: (i) development of a networking website that includes information about hundreds of researchers within the U.S.A. and around the world who are involved in plant N-related research, opportunities for collaboration, and educational resources; (ii) annual Workshops-Without-Walls, virtual meetings that will involve hundreds of participants in presentations, discussions, and consensus-building related to plant-N research and development; and (iii) satellite workshops at major conferences focused on specific aspects of plant N and agriculture. The activities of the RCN will be coordinated by a PlaNNet Steering Committee (SC) that will be composed of a broad cross section of the nitrogen research community balanced among different demographic groups.