Science-driven action to address climate change is essential. While the conversation about climate change tends to revolve around carbon dioxide, a number of other gases have potent warming effects. The primary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture are nitrous oxide and methane, each of which has a warming potential many times that of carbon dioxide. As Corteva Agriscience looks to support farmers who want to adopt practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from soils, the ability to measure multiple greenhouse gases accurately in an in-field, low-cost manner becomes vital. 

Instruments that measure greenhouse gases are currently available, but traditional methods utilizing chambers and gas chromatography suffer from low spatial and temporal resolution and require post-collection laboratory analyses. Methods employing infrared sensors may be able to provide the desired spatial and temporal resolutions but typically come at a higher cost. Lowering the cost of GHG measurements, both in terms of labor and equipment, will enhance our understanding of soil GHG emissions and how they can best be managed. 

At Corteva Agriscience, our goal is to develop effective, sustainable, and durable solutions to agricultural challenges. We invite public and private sector scientists, engineers, or organizations to join in our efforts by submitting proposals to develop and/or demonstrate low-cost, in-field sensors for greenhouse gas emissions from soil in agricultural settings.