MPG Junior Research Group at KIZ

With the approval of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the German Ministry of Science & Education, this year will see the establishment of another MPG junior research group at the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ). The institute has been seeking all over the world for a scientist to head the group. The first such group was set up at the KIZ in 2001, with Dr. Wang Wen from the University of Chicago as its head. ……

Research Group for Nonlinear Dynamics and Complex Systems, Shaanxi Normal University

Overview The research group for nonlinear dynamics and complex systems is a virtual team comprised of some young re- searchers of common research interest in the School of Physics and Information Technology with the aim of improving the local academic environment and promoting scientific collaborations domestically and worldwide. The research interest of the group is currently focused on the dynamical behaviors of various nonlinear systems, with the subjects investigated ranging from classical to quantum systems, from low dimensional to spatiotemporal systems.

Adaptation of Chinese and German maize-based food-feed-energy systems to limited phosphate resources——a new Sino-German international research training group

Phosphate is supplied to agriculture by mining and fertilizer production,followed by different steps of phosphate utilization,including primary production,feed and food consumption,and conversion of biomass,with accumulation in soils,but little recycling and severe environmental losses.Phosphate is a limited essential nutrient,however,with very uneven distribution worldwide.Closing the cycle and reducing primary phosphate consumption are fundamental future challenges.Maize has a relatively high phosphate requirement.China and Germany together cover the whole range of maize production systems.The new Sino-German international research training group"Adaptation of Chinese and German maize-based food-feed-energy systems to limited phosphate resources"(AMAIZE-P)was initiated in 2018 as a joint venture of the China Agricultural University(Beijing,China)and the University of Hohenheim(Stuttgart,Germany).The interdisciplinary and complementary research is driven by the hypothesis that under phosphate limited conditions,high productivity and high phosphate use efficiency can be achieved simultaneously by adapting phosphate cycling and availability(sources)to the multipurpose phosphate demands(sinks)in maizebased food-feed-energy systems.The educational program for doctoral researchers in China and Germany includes joint block seminars,thematic field trips,case studies,methodological courses,doctoral researchers’conferences,intercultural training sessions and personal training.

Agricultural extension approach:evidence from an Integrated Soil Fertility Management Project in Ethiopia

Agricultural extension is an approach to rural development and agricultural transformation in which training,demonstration and technology transfer are key to reducing rural poverty,ensuring food security,and sustainably managing natural resources.During recent decades,different extension approaches have been tested and validated by the Ethiopian government and nongovernmental organizations to stimulate participation in the agricultural extension system(AES).The most recent was a German-funded project entitled“Integrated Soil Fertility Management Project”(ISFM+),which employed a novel approach to piloting and upscaling proven technology and best practice.The purpose of this study was to analyze and document the modalities of ISFM+and illustrate its effects on technology uptake and dissemination.The study used a mixed methods approach to collect data.ATLAS.ti and SPSS were used for data management and analysis.Farmer Research and Extension Groups and Farmer Field Schools were found to be central to the participation process.Also,the ISFM+was found to aid technology transfer and helped to increase grain and residue yields as well as farmer livelihoods.Based on these empirical findings,it is argued that the ISFM+approach and technology should be integrated and institutionalized in the mainstream AES in order to promote their extensive application.