Low-Cost, In-Field Sensors for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Soils in Agricultural Settings

Effective, sustainable, and durable solutions to agricultural challenges

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Corteva Agriscience is seeking low-cost technologies with dynamic sampling and in-field measurement capabilities for greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils.

Application Deadline
December 1st, 2022
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Summary

Background

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 and engineers 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. 

Challenge

Corteva Agriscience is seeking short, non-confidential proposals for developing concepts to prototype or adapting existing technologies for in-field measurements of greenhouse gas emissions from soil. Proposals may be focused on direct measurements as well as highly correlated, ancillary measurements including environmental parameters. Higher technology readiness levels will be prioritized, but novel concept-to-prototype proposals will be considered.

Technologies meeting the following qualifications are desired.

Must haves: 

  • able to measure the relative amounts of N2O, CO2, and CH4 with +/- 5% accuracy (as determined by gas chromatography) towards determining greenhouse gas flux emissions (typical ranges for each greenhouse gas emitted from soils in agricultural settings are N2O in ppb, CO2 in ppm, and CH4 in ppm)
  • able to collect aggregated, daily measurements taken entirely on location in an agricultural field 
  • field-rugged, water-resistant, durable, for use in field conditions from early spring through late fall  

Nice-to-haves: 

  • accurate measurement of N2O (ppb), CO2 (ppm), & CH4 (ppm) +/- 2% (as determined by gas chromatography or equivalent) 
  • real-time, point-of-detection measurements, taken once per hour or more frequently to sufficiently estimate flux 
  • potential for multiple point measurements from a single instrument (e.g., measurements taken from sensors placed at various heights above the soil and locations within a field)  
  • real-time data reporting, over the air updates, telemetry capable 
  • low power consumption, with solar power capability or full season deployment lifetime, able to be redeployed in subsequent growing seasons 
  • prototypes/concepts that lead to production scale devices at $1000 or less 
  • data-supported use of the proposed technology for greenhouse gas measurements 

Approaches not of interest: 

  • technologies requiring post-collection processing of samples in a laboratory or other off-site location

Proposals to develop concepts to prototype or adapt existing technologies for this purpose are of interest.


What's in it for you?

A Corteva Open Innovation representative will contact selected finalists to arrange a virtual discussion with Corteva scientists under confidentiality and to provide additional details on the selection process. For selected proposals, submitters will engage with Corteva scientists to develop and execute on an agreed upon project plan.

Awarded submissions may receive the following:

  • funding (up to $50,000 inclusive of a maximum of 10% indirect costs*) 
  • Corteva in-kind resources as applicable (e.g., access to field sites and controlled environments, comparison to existing methods of measurement)
  • opportunities for extended collaboration and additional funding if successful 

This is a global challenge, and Corteva Agriscience is open to collaborating with scientists, engineers or organizations in the public or private sectors. In particular, expertise in gas measurement technologies is desirable.

If you have or are developing solutions, or if you have expertise in the above, please click "Apply" to submit your solution/expertise to the Network.

* Indirect costs available to academic and nonprofit research institutes only