Ozone Risk and Mitigation Assessment

A US Farm Exploring Mitigation Strategies

The Question

Soybean, wheat, maize, potato, tomato, lettuce, melons, and strawberries are sensitive to ozone exposure and are in some regions grown under irrigated systems. While irrigation supports crop growth, it can exacerbate ozone damage during peak ozone periods. A farmer in the United States seeks to determine whether their fields are affected by ozone and what mitigation strategy might be most suitable and most cost-effective.

The Solution

AerYield quantifies the extent of ozone-related damage on local fields for up to 18 different crops, informing the farmer of maximum yield gains possible through mitigation. In addition, AerYield shows the local, seasonal pattern of damaging ozone levels, revealing if ozone stress is only short-term or throughout the season.

Depending on the local ozone levels and patterns, different mitigation strategies can be adopted by the farmer, such as:

Planting Window Optimisation

If possible, ozone-sensitive crops should be chosen outside peak pollution periods, and ozone-tolerant crops should be selected during periods of elevated ozone levels.

Short-term Irrigation Adjustments

If local ozone patterns consist of only short peak periods, farmers can synchronise irrigation with real-time ozone warnings from weather apps or on-farm sensors.

Nitrogen Regime Adjustments

Nitrogen can help counteract ozone stress in crops through various mechanisms. Finding the optimal dosage – often a moderate increase over baseline in affected locations – improves antioxidant defence, maintains photosynthetic capacity, and ultimately enhances crop yields and profitability while minimising the environmental impact.

Crop Selection Optimisation

Some crops are less sensitive to ozone than others. Aligning crop rotation and selection with local ozone levels and patterns can improve yields and income.

Example for short-term peak periods

Suitable for various mitigation measures such as planting window optimisation, adjustment of irrigation and nitrogen regime.

Hourly excess ozone during growing seasons during daylight

Example for persistent ozone stress

Only mitigation measure suitable here is crop selection optimisation.

Hourly excess ozone during growing seasons during daylight

Our AerYield online tool reveals three important insights for the farmer’s location:

The location is highly affected by ozone and mitigation measures should be considered to improve income and productivity of the land.

At this site, ozone stress is persistent throughout the year, making crop selection optimisation a more suitable mitigation strategy than adjustments to irrigation, nitrogen management, or planting windows.

The long-term outlook suggests that soybeans are significantly more affected by ozone than corn in this location. A transition from soybeans to corn could be considered, provided other logistical and environmental factors do not argue against making such a change in this specific location.