TABLE OF CONTENTS

RSTC Management

• RSTC formally established on the Mississippi State University campus
• RSTC Director, Chief Technologist named
• Offices established for Director, Chief Technologist, NASA in-residence Program Director, and Extension Remote Sensing Specialist
• Executive Steering Committee and Technical Steering Committee organized
• Planning underway for External Advisory Committee
• Tour of agricultural research sites conducted July 15-16, 1999
• NASA has reviewed the RSTC program on March 16-17, 2000; all review comments positive

Research Activities

• Request for Proposals developed, sent out to MSU faculty
• Proposals reviewed internally and externally by peer review panel based on scientific merit, adherence to the goals and focus areas of the RSTC, and cross-disciplinary strength of project
• Proposal modifications requested in many instances to develop a comprehensive and collaborative overall program of the RSTC
• Identified field research sites covering significant agriculture and forestry appropriate for Mississippi:
  • Delta Research and Extension Center, Stoneville, MS
  • Plant Science Research Center, Starkville, MS
  • Black Belt Branch Experiment Station, Brooksville, MS
  • USDA/ARS Crop Production Research Unit, Stoneville, MS
  • USDA/ARS Crop Science Research Unit, Starkville, MS
  • USDA/ARS Natural Resources Institute, Remote Sensing and Modeling Laboratory, Beltsville, MD
  • Perthshire Farms, Gunnison, MS
  • Starr Research Forrest, Starkville, MS
  • Other production farm/forest sites around the state as appropriate for specific projects
Together with NASA, developed flight/sensor schedules to provide coverage of all projects
• Developed working affiliation with MSCI; development activities with a number of MSCI companies
• Seventeen departments/units at MSU involved in research projects; 71 MSU faculty; USDA/ARS units at Starkville and Stoneville also involved in many cooperative projects
• Conducted gap analysis to determine critical shortfalls in research efforts; recruitment of targeted proposals to fill these gaps underway
• Substantial infrastructure redirected at MSU to meet the needs of the RSTC; faculty reassignments, physical infrastructure committed
• MSU Extension Service developed Extension Remote Sensing Specialist position; faculty position for remote sensing educational activities in agriculture and natural resources
• Linkage with ASTA - Advanced Spatial Technologies for Agriculture project (USDA-funded effort at MSU focusing on precision agriculture research) and extension of MCARS - Mississippi Coalition for Applications of Remote Sensing (NASA-funded pilot project) for leveraged research activities
• Developed faculty position justifications: presented to Deans Council for distribution to department heads; allocation of new positions and re-vectoring vacant positions
• New positions already allocated in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics departments; others currently under consideration

The following projects have been initiated in each area:

Preliminary Successes

• MSU Extension Service has added a faculty position as a Geospatial Extension Specialist. The GES is conducting demonstration and validation projects throughout Mississippi, enhancing the training of end-users and increasing acceptance of the technologies.
• MSU Electrical & Computer Engineering has added a faculty position in remote sensing engineering. This position will focus on hyperspectral signal processing, thus broadening the faculty infrastructure at MSU.
• The RSTC has added a Chief Technologist, focused on assisting the commercial remote sensing industry in developing new technologies. The Chief Technologist, along with the faculty mentioned above, are recognized experts in their respective fields, and were attracted to MSU because of the growing reputation of our remote sensing-related research and education program.
• RSTC Director, Dr. David Shaw, was named as a Senior Science Advisor to NASA Earth Science Enterprise Remote Sensing Applications Program.
• RSTC researchers and educators are participating in national and international science and technical committees related to remote sensing.
• Collaborative activities have been established with many of the premier remote sensing research institutions in the U.S., including University of Arizona, Purdue University, Utah State University, University of Alabama-Huntsville, University of Mississippi, Auburn University, Jackson State University, University of Kentucky, and USDA/ARS facilities in several states.
• Listening sessions conducted throughout the state with farmers/foresters indicated broad interest in remote sensing applications in agriculture and forestry. Specific interests in agriculture were variable-rate agricultural chemical applications, economic assessments in risk management, expert systems for precision agriculture, and production information on a national/global scale. Interests in forestry included stress management (particularly insects), forest inventory systems, and site-specific management techniques.
• RSTC has developed a prototype web-based seminar series on remote sensing with Purdue University. The seminar will also be offered at the NASA Stennis Space Center in the fall of 2000.
• New courses have been developed, and existing courses and curricula have been modified to enhance formal education and training of students in remote sensing at MSU. These courses are developed to accommodate any advances in technologies and applications of remote sensing imagery in the future. Next steps will include making these courses available to other educational components of the university, as well as other institutions via web-based delivery.
• RSTC conducted a short course on spatial statistics, and over 40 faculty and staff participated. Plans including extending this to other researchers and educators within the university.
• RSTC researchers have compiled an extensive database of publications on remote sensing applications in transportation to guide development of the technology in this emerging application.
• Advanced analysis techniques have been developed for next-generation remote sensing data. These techniques are enabling scientists, engineers, and the remote sensing industry to develop new methods of extracting information from advanced systems, thus enhancing the development of remote sensing applications and next-generation sensors.
• A comprehensive, university-wide data storage and management system has been developed so that researchers both at MSU and collaborators from other institutions have ready access to the latest data and analysis techniques. This novel approach to centralizing data management reduces duplication of hardware and software, and reduces the cost of research considerably.
• Advanced holographic environments have been created that allow researchers and end-users to interactively view their data in three dimensions. This provides an understanding and perspective that has never been available in the past.
• MSU economists are applying principles of new economic models such as "Real Options" to remote sensing applications development. This will allow the remote sensing industry to more accurately assess risk and develop marketable commercial applications.
• Remote sensing data can be used to enable site-specific insect management in cotton. This reduces production costs and minimizes environmental impacts.
• Remote sensing is a key component in developing prescription fertilizer applications in cotton; yields were enhanced through optimization of nitrogen fertilization. This increases profitability and protects the environment from over-application of nutrients that otherwise could make their way into surface and ground water.
• Weeds can be detected and classified down to the species level via hyperspectral remote sensing. This allows the producer to tailor a herbicide program to only the areas of fields that are infested with weed populations that can reduce yields, thus improving management capabilities and reducing pesticide load in the environment.
• Diseases could be detected in soybeans through remote sensing before they were visually present. Therefore, treatments can be made in localized areas to prevent yield losses and disease spread.
• Soil management zones, areas that can be managed similarly within a given field, can be accurately identified by merging remote sensing with other data types. Precision agriculture can be enhanced markedly through better soil management enabled by this technology.
• Remote sensing is useful in detecting areas of cotton fields with excessive vegetative growth, enabling site-specific applications of growth regulators. This enhances yield and improves cotton fiber quality.
• A prototype forest inventory web interface has been developed that will allow forest resource managers access to county-level information never before available. Forest managers are able to understand the condition of their resource base, as well as its spatial distribution.
• Remote sensing forest inventory techniques have been proven to be as accurate as traditional ground-based inventory systems. Once these techniques are validated cost of inventory operations will be reduced significantly.
• Research has been initiated to determine how to measure changes in plant and soil reflectance due to changes in sun angle. Results of this effort will allow remote sensing companies to maximize their data collection capabilities, thus improving their productivity, efficiency, and profitability.
• Over 50 commercial companies have expressed interest in collaborative activities with RSTC. These companies range from data collection to agricultural service providers, many of which are affiliates or members of the Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative.
• At least five companies have agreed to provide data, software, or services via collaborative projects. As a result, MSU is positioned as a researching partner in their critical development pathway.
• RSTC has completed discussions with the Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative, and have agreed upon appropriate roles for each entity and full collaboration in delivering technology advancements to the marketplace.
• New projects have been initiated with MS Department of Environmental Quality, MS Department of Marine Resources on remote sensing applications in environmental assessment and management.
• RSTC researchers secured funding from US DOT to lead a national consortium for environmental assessments related to transportation planning.
• RSTC was named as the NASA Regional Coordinator for the next major area of remote sensing applications focus - Applications of Remote Sensing for State and Local Government.
• RSTC has developed joint research activities with NASA's lead center for environmental management. Research activities will focus on forest inventory, wildlife and habitat management, and environmental management.
• RSTC recently completed a comprehensive review of agriculture projects with NASA program managers. The results of the review were very positive and NASA asked RSTC to expand their role to validate the research plans and provide the science rigor for all agricultural projects sponsored by NASA.