Improving food production while protecting natural systems

The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) conducts research to improve agricultural productivity and resilience while minimizing environmental impacts. Our work supports a future where food systems are efficient, sustainable, and adaptable to changing climate and resource conditions. By integrating expertise in agronomy, environmental science, engineering, and data analytics, our teams are helping to secure the global food supply through innovation and systems-level understanding.

Focus Areas

• Climate-smart agriculture and crop adaptation
• Soil health and nutrient management
• Agricultural modeling and forecasting
• Precision agriculture and agtech innovation
• Water use efficiency in farming systems
• Reducing the environmental footprint of livestock and crop systems
• Improved land-use management

Featured Researchers & Initiatives

Kaiyu Guan
Blue Waters Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; Chief Scientist, NASA Acres; Director, Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC)
Professor Guan directs ASC, where researchers use satellite data, field observations, and environmental modeling to understand how climate, management, and crops interact. The center leads global efforts to monitor nitrous oxide emissions, improve soil health, and adapt food production systems to climate stress.
Learn more about ASC >>>

Girish Chowdhary
Associate Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Computer Science; Director, I-FARM
Professor Chowdhary heads I-FARM, a USDA “Farm of the Future” testbed that combines AI, autonomous robotics, and precision agriculture. On an 80-acre site south of campus, his team is testing sustainable practices that reduce inputs, monitor soil health, and create more affordable, scalable tools for farmers.
Learn more about I-FARM >>>

Madhu Khanna
ACES Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics; Director, iSEE; Director, SCAPES
Professor Khanna leads SCAPES, a multi-state effort to study agrivoltaics — the practice of growing crops beneath solar panels. Her work explores how co-locating food and energy systems can conserve water, improve farm profitability, and optimize land use in diverse climates across Illinois, Arizona, and Colorado.
Learn more about SCAPES >>>

Emily Heaton
Professor of Crop Sciences; Director, I-Regen
Professor Heaton leads I-Regen, a regional initiative promoting regenerative agriculture across Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Her research focuses on perennial crops and soil-building practices that enhance both farm resilience and climate mitigation. Through community engagement and field-based trials, she is helping scale regenerative systems across the Midwest.
Learn more about I-Regen >>>

Impact Highlights

• CABBI researchers have developed a new variety of sorghum that outperforms soybeans in oil content, created high-value chemicals from sugarcane, and secured 18 patents since the center’s founding.
• ASC teams pinpointed the causes of the 2023 dust storm along I-55 in Illinois, launched the N₂O Net global emissions monitoring network, and developed the first model to explain variation in agricultural nitrous oxide emissions.
• I-FARM’s testbed integrates robotics, AI, and remote sensing across 80 acres to demonstrate regenerative practices and digital agriculture technologies that aim to reduce input costs and improve soil health.
• SCAPES researchers are testing agrivoltaics at three sites in Illinois, Arizona, and Colorado. This project informs national strategies for land use that support both food and energy production. 
• I-Regen has expanded regenerative farming networks across Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa by supporting community partnerships and diversified cropping systems that promote soil health and long-term food security.

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• Explore our Centers & Initiatives >>>
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