c.saintpierre@cgiar.org

The four-year CropSustaiN mission aims to establish the potential of the biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) trait in spring and winter wheat across the Global South and North. This initiative seeks to reduce agriculture's nitrogen footprint through seed-based and agronomic solutions, complementary to other mitigation measures.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation asked CIMMYT to lead this multidisciplinary initiative, in collaboration with nearly 50 partners. The vision is for farmers to reduce nitrogen fertilizer.

Deploying BNI-wheat could reduce GHG emissions by 0.19 gigatonnes CO2-equivalent emissions per year, and up to 6% of total global N2O emissions annually, as well as lowering nitrate pollution - whilst maintaining crop productivity and soil health. This is critical to satisfy growing demand and meet food and nutrition security SDG targets.

CropSustaiN will demonstrate the economic, environmental, and societal value of the BNI trait at farm, value chain, and policy-making levels. The initiative is structured around three integrated research areas.

First, it develops and validates standardized protocols for measuring and documenting BNI-wheat cropping management, soil sampling, and nitrogen cycling parameters to produce accurate, reliable, and comparable data across the diverse global partners’ sites and over time. This will ensure accessibility and interoperability of the extensive dataset adhering to FAIR principles. Second, it focuses on breeding, agronomy, and field trials to incorporate the BNI trait into elite spring and winter wheat lines.

Third, it conducts discovery research in genomics, microbial ecology, and agricultural innovation systems to enhance understanding of BNI processes and support technology adoption. Academic institutions, industry, farmers, and policymakers are all integral to the innovation systems that will enable BNI-wheat scaling across geographies.

The CropSustaiN initiative aims to engage stakeholders along this impact pathway.