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
SIGMA co-organizes Bellagio convening on rice methane solutions
SIGMA recently co-organized a convening for Big Bets on Rice Methane at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy, bringing together philanthropies, researchers, farmers' organizations, development institutions, climate leaders, and private-sector agribusiness partners to address one…
SIGMA and Can Tho University Launch Field Trial for Low-Emission Rice Cultivation
Can Tho University's Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources launched the field trial for SIGMA's low-emission rice cultivation project in Thạnh An commune. The project will compare continuous flooding, mid-season drainage, and Alternate Wetting and Drying to measure greenhouse gas…
ASC hosts leading researchers at the Frontiers of Agricultural Nitrogen Symposium
A group of research experts in nitrogen use for agriculture convened at the Beckman Institute on April 28, 2026 to address the challenge of how to feed the world while mitigating the environmental impacts of nitrogen fertilizer.
University of Illinois researchers develop dynamic framework to monitor tillage practices from space
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a satellite- and machine learning–based framework that maps tillage practices across large regions over time, providing more detailed and timely insights for sustainable agriculture and policy than traditional survey methods.
Illinois Team Tests the Costs, Benefits of Agrivoltaics Across the Midwest
A new study examines the agricultural and economic trade-offs that come with installing solar arrays on working farms across the Midwest.