Down to Earth Science from Outer Space

1. Down to Earth Science from Outer Space Applying NASA Technologies and Interagency Collaborations to Advance Agricultural Science and Natural Resource Management David R. Shaw, Directordshaw@gri.msstate.edu

2. Early Remote Sensing Focus Hazards Global Change Global Weather Bio-Geo-Chemical Cycling Atmospheric Models GRI

3. Remote Sensing of Yesterday Large area Inventories Regional Crop Mapping GRI

4. Remote Sensing Today Pest Management Nutrient Management Irrigation Stress Detection Crop Growth Regulation GRI

5. Convergence of Technologies Enabling New Applications Development • Computing power • Global positioning systems • Geographic information systems • Sensor systems • Internet • Costs of components GRI

6. Challenges Facing Remote Sensing Applications • Conversion of DATA into INFORMATION in TIME for it to do some good! GRI

7. Challenges Facing Remote Sensing Applications • Delivery time • Education • Industry development • Economics • Data management • Mixed pixel issues GRI

8. Challenges Facing Remote Sensing Applications • Atmospheric, image collection issues • Interactions with management practices • Spatial resolution • Temporal resolution GRI

9. Success Story - Site-Specific Insect Management • Correlate crop growth characteristics to remote sensing, insect ecology • Directed scouting • Site-specific insecticide maps based on geo-located insect populations

10. Spatially - Variable Insecticide Applications Evidence suggests that plant bugs attack early - season vibrant, healthy vegetation first. Using imagery as a guide, a GPS - equipped applicator can spray only where needed. Less Healthy More Healthy Heteroptera : Miridae (Plant Bug)

11. Follow-On Applications • Stress detection • Crop growth regulators • Nematode/disease management • Weed management • Fertilizer applications

12. Forest Monitoring and Inventory • Development of a regionally scalable forest inventory/monitoring system based on satellite and aerial remote sensing systems • Utilize LIDAR and GIS for standing timber estimation

13. Eurasian Water Milfoil Hydrilla Giant Salvinia Invasive Species Management • Early Detection and Monitoring • Remote sensing • New sensor technologies • New feature extraction techniques • Modeling • Predict vulnerability for habitats • Predict rate of spread • Assessment • Baseline condition, validate techniques • Monitor spread

14. A Comprehensive Threat Management Framework for aCrop Biosecurity National Architecture MSU GeoResources Institute MSU Social Sciences Research Center Iowa State University Pennsylvania State University USDA ARS US DOE National Laboratories

15. Background • The Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate (DHS/S&T) has directed Mississippi State University (MSU) to work in conjunction with the DOE National Laboratories in the conduct of an end-to-end systems study and technology readiness baselining for the problem of agricultural crop biosecurity (funding through NSF). • The objectives of this eight-month study are to: • Recommend a framework through which the threat of a particular agricultural pest can be assessed. • Develop a process through which DHS can assess the readiness of our scientific understanding and technologies necessary for implementing the framework. • Use Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) as a reference scenario to test the proposed framework.

16. Brazil SBR

17. US Planted Soybean Acreage per County

18. September 19, 2004

19. SBR Positive in Soybeans

20. Prior Success with Remote Sensing • Sudden Death Syndrome in soybeans detected in MSU fields two weeks prior to visual symptoms. • This early detection of plant stress is possible due to the fact that a plant’s cellular structure is the dominant factor in controlling leaf reflectance in the near infrared range. Often these cells become distressed (i.e., change reflectance) prior to any changes in the leaf in the visible portion of the spectrum.

21. Monitoring Off-Target Deposition • Remote sensing tool to assess and quantify • Often not visible by ground assessment • Temporal assessments can aid in determining the impact of off-target events • Demonstrates crop injury and subsequent recovery

22. ASD in Paraguay • Collection protocol developed with USDA. • Measurements taken over 3 month period. • Data analysis underway.

23. Retrospective with US Incident • Acquired Landsat, MODIS, ASTER imagery for dates prior to and subsequent to Hurricane Ivan. • Using known locations of infection to conduct retrospective. Landsat 7 ETM+ image of Brazil and Paraguay with an enlarged area showing probable soybean fields.

24. Landsat – September 19, 2004

25. Other Applications • Transportation – Corridor Mapping • Homeland Security • Census Updates • State/Local Government • Invasive species assessment • Coastal management • Economic development – visualization • …….

26. NASA Observing Spacecraft

27. Integrating Knowledge, Capacity and Systems into Solutions

28. ApplicationFocus Areas and Partners

29. TRMM Jason Applying NASA Research Results for improving Crop Production Assessment EOS products Productivity modeling (FAS) WAOB Estimates Policy/Resource Decisions MODIS Rapid Response products provide timely looks at crop condition TOPEX and JASON-1 products provide lake level data in critical irrigated areas TRMM products provide better data on available water March 2005

30. Observations to Knowledge Products “from photons to electrons to neurons”

31. Global System for Earth Observation Integrating Orbital, Suborbital and In Situ Components

32. Building Bridges – Partnerships as the Key • NASA • USDA • USGS • EPA • NOAA • DHS • USFS • DoD • DoC • DoE • ….

33. Remote Sensing Goes Mainstream • Chasm being crossed; slowly • Opportunities real; industry developing • Agency needs being met more effectively • Challenges still exist; research needs overwhelming • Successes beginning to emerge; are growing