The Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) is jointly established by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment (iSEE), the College of ACES, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Research Themes
Agroecosystem is a comprehensive system that carbon, water, nutrient cycles are intrinsically connected, interacting with human management practices, providing critical food/energy/fiber needs for humanity and ecosystem service.
Agricultural Production
We study the complex dynamics of crop productivity, its response to management practices and environmental stresses, and its resilience to climate change.
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Carbon
Plant carbon input from residue and root exudates further drives soil carbon dynamics and microbe-mediated transformation.
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Nutrients
Nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients) cycling in the agroecosystem is a critical determinant for both agricultural production and environmental sustainability.
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Water
Water quantity and quality are crucial for agroecosystems as they impact crop productivity and are also indicators of agriculture environmental outcomes.
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Digital Replica
Could the U.S. Midwest remain as the global food basket in the next 100 years? How can we ensure co-sustainability of food production and environmental quality in this landscape?
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Solutions
ASC aims to transform our advanced use-inspired and applied basic research outcomes into different practical solutions for various stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
Learn MoreIn The News
NASA officials visits ASC to exchange insights with University of Illinois leadership, farm community
The event brought together many of the key stakeholders – NASA, ASC, university research and innovation leaders, legislators, the Illinois Farm Bureau and other agriculture agencies, and area farmers.
NASA, UI team up for farm research
NASA officials visited the UI on Tuesday to discuss further partnership, especially when it comes to tackling food insecurity and agricultural challenges. (News-Gazette)
Through a New NASA Grant, Interdisciplinary Team to Measure Nitrogen Released from Agriculture Sources
An ASC-led study will integrate satellite remote sensing, strategic field work from commercial farmland in Central Illinois, and ecosystem biochemistry modeling to quantify nitrogen emissions from agriculture across the U.S. Midwest.
ASC scientists released long-term data of ground solar-induced fluorescence to improve understanding of canopy-level photosynthesis
A recent study led by Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) scientists utilized ground-based instruments to measure solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) that reflect plant health and photosynthesis.
ASC Associate Director Wendy Yang Finds Collaboration Environment Essential to Tackling Nitrous Oxide Emissions
What stood out about the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign when Wendy Yang interviewed for a tenure-track faculty position in its Department of Plant Biology a decade ago was the institution’s trademark collaborative nature. A decade later, in that environment, she and her collaborators are making their mark in solving some of the globe’s most pressing climate issues.