Crop modelling, to anticipate the impact of climate change on global food security

Event 16 January 2020
Some 400 crop modelling specialists from all over the world are expected in Montpellier from 3 to 5 February 2020, for the second International Crop Modelling Symposium (iCROPM2020). The event, which is being organized by CIRAD, INRAE and INRIA, with the support of I-SITE MUSE and #DigitAg, is particularlyrelevant in the current context of global climate change and increased pressure on agricultural production.
iCROPM, 3-5 février 2020, Montpellier

The increased pressure on agricultural production as a result of climate change makes crop modelling, which has been developed since the 1980s-90s, all the more relevant. The aim is to simulate how crops will react and anticipate ways of adapting in order to maintain agricultural production worldwide and ensure global food security.

Every type of crop and cropping system (major crops such as wheat, maize, rice, soybean, sunflower, grasslands, tropical crops and intermediate crops) in every world region (temperate and tropical climates) will be reviewed during six sessions:

  1. Improvement of crop models
  2. Crop modelling for ecological intensification
  3. Linking crop/plant models and genetics
  4. Linking crop models to data stream systems in the digital age (big data)
  5. Crop modelling for risk and impact assessment
  6. Methods and software to support modelling activities.

The participants are due to give 100 oral presentations and present 200 posters over the three days.

Fourteen keynote speakers will be giving talks to introduce each session and foster debate:

  • Bruno Basso, Michigan State University, USA
  • Mark Cooper, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  • Frank Dentener, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
  • Ken Giller, Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands
  • Graeme Hammer, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  • Jana Kholova, ICRISAT, India
  • Joanna Linnerooth-Bayer, IIASA, Vienna, Austria
  • Amy Marshall-Colon, University of Illinois, USA
  • Pierre Martre, INRAE, Montpellier, France
  • François Tardieu, INRAE, Montpellier, France
  • Claudio Stöckle, Washington State University, USA
  • Philippe Tixier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
  • Harry Vereecken, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
  • Kerstin Wiegand, University of Göttingen, Germany.

CIRAD's Philippe Tixier will be talking about the issues surrounding modelling of agroecological systems.

Side-events on 6 and 7 February (Agropolis and CIRAD campuses) will allow iCROPM2020 participants to work together on global projects.

See also