Measuring Greenhouse Gas Fluxes with an Automated Chamber System in an Agricultural Field

The purpose of this research is to quantify greenhouse gas emissions, specifically nitrous oxide (N₂O), from agricultural soil with different types of vegetation that are either fertilized or unfertilized. N₂O is primarily produced in soil through the denitrification of nitrate under anaerobic conditions. Denitrifying bacteria are stimulated by fertilizer and produce high amounts of N₂O when fertilizer application surpasses crop requirements. In this video, we discuss how we are capturing, analyzing, and quantifying greenhouse gases that are emitted from agricultural systems using an array of automatic flux chambers. Video by: Alicia Iwanicki (Washington State University)