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.
Learn More
Carbon
Plant carbon input from residue and root exudates further drives soil carbon dynamics and microbe-mediated transformation.
Learn More
Nutrients
Nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients) cycling in the agroecosystem is a critical determinant for both agricultural production and environmental sustainability.
Learn More
Water
Water quantity and quality are crucial for agroecosystems as they impact crop productivity and are also indicators of agriculture environmental outcomes.
Learn More
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?
Learn More
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
Bin Peng receives conservation research award, improves farmer success
ASC professor Bin Peng has been awarded the Conservation Research Award for his outstanding contributions in nutrient management and water conservation research.
New satellite estimations reveal ammonia hotspots and trends across U.S. farmland and ranches
Researchers from Illinois and New York developed novel methods using satellite data to track ammonia pollution released and absorbed nationwide.
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.