Trace gas working group

We are a working group in Prof. Dr. Torsten Müller’s department Fertilization and Soil Matter Dynamics (340i). At the former Institute for Plant Nutrition we work on issues relating to environmental aspects of fertilization and land cultivation. Our focus is on the investigation of the impacts of fertilization and management on the dynamic of direct and indirect greenhouse gases (i.e. nitrous oxide, methane or ammonia), on C and N soil microbial processes, as well as nitrate leaching.

The primary aim of our work is to find strategies to reduce atmospheric burden and drinking water pollution as a result of agricultural land use by maintaining high crop yields.

In this context we also investigate both established and modern fertilization and management systems. Our work in the fertilizer area comprises mineral and organic nitrogen fertilization. We conduct our investigations both in conventional and organic farming systems using a broad spectrum of relevant arable crops, pasture and various vegetable crops.

The AG Trace Gases is led by Dr. Reiner Ruser. He has a 20 year experience working on environmental aspects of fertilization and agricultural use of soils with the main focus “greenhouse gases and C and N dynamics in soils”.