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ASC hosts Symposium on Agricultural Decarbonization

The Agroecosystem Sustainability Center presented a “Symposium on Agricultural Decarbonization” on Wednesday, September 18 at the NCSA auditorium. Keynote speaker Steven Singer, the Program Director at ARPA-E, gave an update on how ARPA-E is approaching agriculture and its vision for tackling climate challenges in the coming decades, and research leaders on campus shared how the University of Illinois has become a global leader in solving these challenges.

Inflation Reduction Act funding to allow ASC scientists to contribute to US governmental efforts and improve mitigation estimates for agriculture management practices

The USDA local Agricultural Research Service plans to allocate resources, which run through 2031, to ASC researchers to ramp up studies to improve greenhouse gas estimates of agricultural practices, as a continuation of DOE ARPA-E’s SMARTFARM effort.

ASC Director named a finalist for the prestigious Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists

ASC Director Kaiyu Guan has been named a finalist for the Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists. The award honors exceptional young scientists across the life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and chemistry, providing critical support to innovative research that addresses global challenges.

USDA grant to benefit research collaboration exploring the impact of cover crops on soil health and corn production

A USDA grant will support the research project between leadership at the Danforth Plant Science Center and ASC.

ASC-led study reveals stable soil moisture variability within fields and opens the door for satellite remote sensing for future measurements.

A multi-institutional study led by University of Illinois and Agroecosystem Sustainability Center scientists concluded that the variability pattern of soil moisture remained consistent across the growing and non-growing seasons in farm fields across the Midwest. The study also deduced that by leveraging the findings of this study, reliable estimations of high-resolution soil moisture could be made possible by integrating optical and active microwave remote sensing, and modeling, instead of relying on infield measurements.

NASA officials visit 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, area farmers, legislators, the Illinois Farm Bureau and other agriculture agencies.

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 Announces N2Onet to Track Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Agricultural Systems

The ASC is spearheading N2O Net: an international effort to track nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural systems. Discussed at a recent Chicago workshop, this observational data network aims to better understanding and mitigate emissions.

ASC Associate Director Andrew Margenot gives keynote at The Fertilizer Institute Research Forum

Agroecosystems Sustainability Center Associate Director Andrew Margenot gave the keynote address at The Fertilizer Institute Research Forum on March 19 in Dallas, Texas.

Illinois Researchers Prove New Method to Measure Ozone Stress in Soybeans

As the world focuses on not only solving the climate crisis but also sustaining the world’s food supply, researchers need tools to evaluate how atmospheric pollutants affect crops. Over the past decade, the agriculture community has turned to solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) measurements to detect stresses on plants.

ASC Director Receives Macelwane Medal; Named AGU Fellow

Kaiyu Guan, Founding Director of the Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) and a Blue Waters Associate Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, has received the prestigious James B. Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Five Urbana-Champaign Faculty Members Honored as University Scholars

Five University of Illinois professors at the Urbana-Champaign campus have been named University Scholars in recognition of their excellence in teaching, scholarship and service.

Cover Crop Management: Trade-Off between Carbon Benefits, Crop Yield

A study led by researchers at the Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign quantifies the soil organic carbon (SOC) benefits from cover crops in maize-soybean rotations in Midwestern U.S. agroecosystems.

From Ground to Air to Space: Tillage Estimates Get Tech Boost

In a new study, University of Illinois scientists demonstrate a way to accurately map tilled land in real time by integrating ground, airborne, and satellite imagery.

Research Could Simplify Process for Calculating Soil Carbon Credits

A study led by researchers at the Agroecosystem Sustainability Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides new insights for quantifying cropland carbon budgets and soil carbon credits, two important metrics for mitigating climate change.

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