Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture UW–Madison researchers study test plots of bioenergy crops like switchgrass (above) at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station, measuring their agronomical impacts in order to develop a more sustainable agricultural landscape.

UW–Madison’s research on advanced biofuels seeks to enable a cost-effective and environmentally conscious biofuels industry. Guided by the principle of sustainability, scientists work to understand what environmental conditions and socioeconomic factors can create a sustainable biofuel production system. In fields planted with native prairies as well as perennial grasses such as switchgrass and miscanthus, our researchers study biodiversity, ecosystem services, fluxes in soil carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, and much more.