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2017: Photosynthesis for Farmers
African farmers face severe agricultural risks from drought, floods, and disease outbreaks. Accurate early predictions can save lives. Relief initiatives like famine early warning systems and index-based agricultural insurance rely on satellite images that show farmland or pasture greenness, but do not directly measure photosynthesis–actual plant functioning. The researchers will develop a new framework to improve yield predictions and emergency response systems, using cutting-edge satellite chlorophyll fluorescence that can probe the molecular process of photosynthesis, including stress-induced degradation in crops.
Investigators: Ying Sun, Toby Ault, David Matteson, Yanyan Liu