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

氮 (N) 是许多生物分子的必需元素，对地球上的生命至关重要。 氮是粮食、饲料、纤维和燃料植物生产力的关键驱动因素，土壤中氮不足往往会限制农业生产力。 工业/合成氮肥已经消除了许多农业系统中的氮限制，尽管过度使用氮肥会威胁环境，并最终威胁到此类系统的可持续性。 另一方面，数百万资源匮乏的农民，特别是发展中国家的农民，无力承担昂贵的氮肥来提高产量，因此农作物产量非常低。 国际社会越来越认识到与农业中的氮相关的这两个主要问题，以及协调资金和研究以在国际层面解决这些问题的必要性。 该项目将建立植物氮网络 (PlaNNet)，这是一个由美国和世界各地的研究人员和其他利益相关者组成的 NSF 研究协调网络 (RCN)，该网络将在设计和实施研发 (R&D) 战略以解决世界不同地区农业中的氮问题方面发挥主导作用。 全球挑战需要全球应对。 到 2050 年养活 90 亿人并在遥远的未来维持稳定的粮食供应将需要更可持续的解决方案来解决农业氮问题。 植物氮相关研发缺乏协调，导致全球努力不够集中、高效和有效。 该 RCN 旨在协调与植物氮供应和利用相关的研究活动，长期目标是提高农业氮利用的效率和可持续性。 研究挑战和机遇包括提高农作物和牧草植物的氮利用效率（NUE）以及利用天然和合成系统中的生物固氮。 优化农业氮利用还需要改进农业管理实践。 PlaNNet 将有助于连接基础研究人员和应用研究人员，促进共同努力解决农业的氮问题。研究协调网络 (RCN) 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 N 相关研究的数百名研究人员的信息、合作机会和教育资源； (ii) 年度无围墙研讨会，即虚拟会议，将有数百名参与者参与与植物 N 研究和开发相关的演示、讨论和建立共识； (iii) 主要会议上的卫星研讨会重点关注植物氮和农业的具体方面。 RCN 的活动将由 PlaNNet 指导委员会 (SC) 协调，该委员会由氮研究界的广泛领域组成，平衡不同人口群体。

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.