Welcome to the Air Quality of Agricltural Systems Research Unit.  Our mission is to develop fundamental knowledge of the processes controlling water, gas, energy, and particulate exchange between agricultural systems and the atmosphere, and to apply this knowledge to the development of management systems that increase soil carbon storage,  increase water use efficiency, and decrease greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from agricultural systems.

AQAS Research

Specific research objectives of this unit include:

1.   Evaluate emission dispersion patterns to the boundary layer as a function of complex terrain and structural obstructions.

2.   Compare transport models to predict concentrations of pesticides, gases, particulates, and pathogen at various positions across complex terrain.

3.   Quantify the effectiveness of agricultural management to reduce ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions into the atmosphere.          

4.   Identify and quantify organic compounds attached to particulates emitted from animal feeding operations and manure application.

5.   Develop infrastructure for long-term monitoring of spatial and temporal variation of CO2 / H2O vapor change and C storage within corn/soybean systems through implementation of a combination field-scale/boundary layer measurement site.     

6.   Evaluate the effects of alternative agricultural management practices on net greenhouse gas (CO2, N2O, CH4) exchange for Midwest cropping systems.

7.   Investigate basic biophysical interactions that regulate GHG exchange, water  use, and energy transfer as a function of soil, vegetation, and atmospheric processes to enhance  predictive capabilities of CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions and soil C sequestration as a function of changes in crop management practices.