**[NASA Earth Science Enterprise]{.smallcaps}**

**[Earth Science Applications Program]{.smallcaps}**

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

*Earth Science for Agricultural Efficiency*

***Agricultural Efficiency Program Element Plan: 2004-2008***

*February 12, 2004 (v2.6)*

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*Earth Science Exploration Serving Society*

> *Accelerating the realization of economic*
>
> *and societal benefits from Earth science,*
>
> *information, and technology ...*

# Earth Science Enterprise -- Earth Science Applications Program

Earth Science for Agricultural Efficiency

## 

## Agricultural Efficiency Program Element Plan: 2004-2008

Contents:

### Purpose and Scope

I.  Goals and Objectives

> A. Goals: FY04-08
>
> B. Objectives: FY04

C.  Objectives: FY05

D.  Objectives: FY06-08

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II. Partners, Network and Decision Support Systems

    A.  Management Assignments

    B.  Network

    C.  Decision Support Systems

III. Applications Activities: Projects

     A.  Competitive Solicitations

     B.  Challenge Grants

     C.  Projects

IV. Applications Activities: Supporting Efforts

V.  Budget Table

VI. Schedule and Milestones

VII. Program Management and Performance Measures

VIII. Roadmap

*Note: This plan is based on the President's proposed FY2004 budget.*

**I. Purpose and Scope**

Information on vegetation condition derived from remote sensing has long
been used in decisions concerning agricultural production.
Collaborations among the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the 1970's and 1980's
(e.g., the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE), and Agriculture
and Resources Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing
(AgRISTARS)) demonstrated that observations and measurements from Earth
observing satellites provided valuable information on crop production,
yield, and condition. The output of those programs formed the foundation
for much of the global and domestic crop assessment work USDA conducts
through the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) and the National
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). FAS and NASS assessments are
utilized by policy makers, agribusiness resource managers, and producers
to make decisions on agricultural management including planting,
harvesting, marketing, commodity export and pricing, drought monitoring,
and food assistance.

USDA administers a number of production, conservation, and environmental
programs for American farmers focused on the sustainability of domestic
agricultural production. Through USDA agencies such as the Farm Service
Agency (FSA), the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Risk
Management Agency (RMA) and others, programs are implemented and managed
that enable the American agricultural producer to manage the perils
associated with nature and markets while conserving, maintaining, and
improving America\'s natural resources and environment. Management of
many of these farmer-focused programs requires timely and accurate
information on crop condition and weather, and longer term climate
predictions, that can be derived from existing and planned NASA Earth
science missions and models.

The current generation of NASA Earth science observations (Terra, Aqua,
TRMM, etc.) and models provide opportunities for the agricultural
community to predict and monitor global and domestic agricultural
production and yield - assessments that help to drive the U.S.
agricultural industry. In the next decade NASA will launch a number of
new Earth science missions to provide new sources observations and
measurements to address NASA's Earth science mission. The observations
and measurements from the new missions, (e.g., the Orbiting Carbon
Observatory (OCO), Aquarius and the Hydrosphere State Mission (HYDROS))
may also provide improvements to the decision support systems and tools
employed by USDA and other organizations with mandates to monitor
agricultural efficiency.

The agricultural efficiency program element focuses on prediction of
production and yield. This program plan addresses such predictions
through two areas of concentration. The first is the integration of NASA
capabilities, especially data and modeling capabilities in weather,
climate and natural hazards, into the global and domestic production and
yield forecasting mandates of USDA. NASA is collaborating with the
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to improve the timeliness and
accuracy of the information and predictions the FAS supplies to the
World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) in the board's monthly review of
global agriculture. The inputs from FAS have an impact in the billions
of dollars on agriculture decisions at all levels of agriculture -- from
individual operators to agribusiness and national agricultural policy
and management. The collaboration between NASA and FAS is illustrative
of the integrated system solutions that the Earth Science Applications
Division seeks with its partners (see Figure 1).

The second area addresses a legacy partnership with USDA, concluding in
FY04, known as Ag20/20. Ag20/20 involves the development of
remote-sensing based information products for "precision" agriculture
applications and utilizes high-resolution satellite and airborne imagery
from commercial sources to assist producers make in-season production
management decisions. Ag20/20 is maturing toward a stage of benchmarking
the developed tools for technical and economic feasibility.

USDA and NASA/ESE are partners in a number of program elements that
affect USDA mandates. The partnership is formally recognized in a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASA and USDA signed in May,
2003. An interagency working group, authorized under the MOU, is meeting
regularly to define collaborative projects in agricultural efficiency
and other NASA/ESE national application program elements including
carbon management, invasive species, air quality, water quality,
disaster management, and homeland security. In identifying collaborative
projects between USDA and NASA in agricultural efficiency, the
requirements and contributions from the other program elements are
considered by the interagency working group to ensure efficiency and
prevent duplication of effort.

**II. Goals and Objectives**

The Earth Science Applications Program agricultural efficiency element
addresses objectives 1.1, 1.2 and 3.1 of the NASA [2003 Strategic
Plan]{.underline} and the NASA Integrated Budget and Performance
Document (IBPD) performance measures 4ESA1, 4ESA5, and 5ESA9 (see Table
1).

> A. Goals: FY04-08:

The long term goal of the agricultural efficiency program element is to
extend NASA/ESE data, modeling and systems engineering capabilities into
the decision support systems of USDA and other organizations for global
and domestic production and yield estimates. It is expected that NASA
capabilities in climate and weather and natural hazards prediction will
be key in this effort.

> B. Objectives: FY04:

1)  Complete characterization of the FAS PECAD DSS and potential impact
    of NASA Earth science products on the DSS.

2)  Deliver at least two new MODIS products and one TRMM-based product
    to FAS for analysis by FAS analysts in the PECAD DSS.

3)  Prepare a summary of standard MODIS products and their potential
    impact on the FAS DSS and deliver the summary to FAS.

4)  Baseline the NASS decision support system and potential impact of
    NASA Earth science products.

5)  Baseline DSSs associated with the Ag20/20 projects (for those
    projects that end in FY04).

6)  Evaluate and baseline, where appropriate, the use of existing
    climate prediction capabilities derived from NASA Earth science data
    with requirements established by US agricultural community.

> C\) Objectives: FY05:

1)  Benchmark the impact of MODIS products on CADRE system.

2)  Benchmark the impact of TRMM precipitation products on CADRE system

3)  Complete plan with USDA/FAS for operational utilization of NASA
    products in FAS procedures

> D\) Objectives: FY06-FY08

1)  Benchmark Earth science products in FAS DSS

2)  Evaluate the impact of OCO, Aquarius and HYDROS data products on
    USDA systems, including verification and validation of products.

Table 1:

Linkage among objectives from the NASA 2003 Strategic Plan,

The IBPD and the Agricultural Efficiency Element Plan

  ------------- ---------------------------------- -------------- --------------
  NASA          [Objective]{.underline}            FY04           FY05
  Strategic                                        Agricultural   Agricultural
  Plan 2003                                        Efficiency     Efficiency
                                                   Objective      Objective

  1.1           Understand how the Earth is        2,6            3
                changing, better predict change,                  
                and understand the consequences                   
                for life on earth.                                

  1.2           Expand and accelerate the          2,3            1,2,3
                realization of economic and                       
                societal benefits from Earth                      
                science, information and                          
                technology                                        

  3.3           Improve the Nation\'s economic     4,5,6          3
                strength and quality of life by                   
                facilitating the innovative use of                
                NASA technology                                   

  IBPD FY04-05                                                    

  4ESA1, 4ESA5  Benchmark the process of           4,5,6          1
                assimilating observations from                    
                missions and predictions from                     
                models into decision support                      
                systems for agricultural                          
                efficiency                                        

  5ESA9         Benchmark the use of predictions                  1
                from 2 NASA Earth system science                  
                models for use in national                        
                priorities such as support for the                
                CCSP and CCTP.                                    
  ------------- ---------------------------------- -------------- --------------

**III. Partners, Network and Decision Support Systems**

> A. Management Assignments
>
> 1\) Program Manager Agricultural Efficiency Element
>
> Mr. Ed Sheffner
>
> Earth Science Applications Division (Code YO)
>
> Office of Earth Science
>
> NASA Headquarters
>
> Washington DC
>
> Responsibilities:
>
> • Development of and implementation of interagency agreements and
> partnerships with other organizations
>
> • Program development including program plans and budgets
>
> • Development and implementation of solicitations for agricultural
> efficiency tasks
>
> • Primary responsibility for metrics, performance goals and other
> performance evaluation criteria
>
> • Liaison to codes YS, YF and YB in ESE; North American Carbon Program
> (NACP); Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) and Climate Change
> technology Program (CCTP).
>
> 2\) Deputy Program Manager for Agricultural Efficiency Element
>
> Mr. Rodney McKellip
>
> Project Research Scientist
>
> Earth Science Applications Directorate
>
> Stennis Space Center, MS (SSC)
>
> Responsibilities:
>
> • Management of agricultural efficiency tasks assigned to Stennis
> Space Center
>
> • COTR or studies manager (as appropriate) for grants and cooperative
> agreements that address agricultural efficiency management and are
> funded through procurement at Stennis Space Center.
>
> • Coordinator and liaison with program element management for
> agricultural efficiency tasks at NASA centers.
>
> B. Network
>
> NASA/ESE is pursuing partnerships with federal agencies and others
> that oversee land management decisions and policies that effect
> agricultural production and yield. The program includes, for technical
> support, NASA field centers, universities, non-government
> organizations and commercial entities, and state/local/tribal
> organizations that implement agricultural efficiency policies through
> decision support systems and tools.
>
> NASA/ESE is a node in a network involved in agricultural efficiency.
> The network is improving knowledge of agricultural efficiency in new
> environments and is developing and implementing information sources to
> provide managers and policy makers with the knowledge to allocate
> resources. Key nodes in the network (currently involved with the
> program element) include:

1)  NASA field centers:

> • John C. Stennis Space Center
>
> • Goddard Space Flight Center

![](media/image4.png){width="7.742361111111111in" height="5.6in"}

Figure 1: Agricultural Efficiency Integrated System Solution

2)  Federal partners:

> • USDA/FAS: Mr. Glenn Bethel
>
> • USDA/FAS: Dr. Brad Doorn
>
> • USDA/Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Dr. Al Dedrick,
>
> • USDA/World Agricultural Resources Board (WAOB): Dr. Gerry Bange
>
> • USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS): Dr. Roberta
> Pense
>
> • USDA/Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
> (CSREES): Dr. Ray Knighton
>
> • Dept. of State: Mr. Fernando Echavarria
>
> 3\) Universities:
>
> • Louisiana State University: Dr. R. Leonard
>
> • Mississippi State University: Dr. David Shaw
>
> • Oklahoma State University: Dr. J. Solie
>
> • University of Arizona: Dr. Charles Hutchinson
>
> • University of Maryland: Dr. Chris Justice
>
> • University of Missouri: Dr. Verne Kaupp
>
> • Utah State University: Dr. Phil Rasmussen
>
> 4\) Other organizations: Institute for Technology Development -- Dr.
> George May
>
> C. Decision Support Systems
>
> The collaboration between NASA/ESE and USDA on the PECAD/CADRE
> decision support system began in FY03. A "baseline" report on the DSS
> was delivered to FAS and NASA/ESE early in FY04. MODIS products for
> evaluation by FAS analysts began flowing to FAS in the summer of 2003.
> Initial benchmarking of the improvements in the DSS from MODIS
> products is expected in early FY05.
>
> NASA and USDA, under the terms of the MOU described in Section I., are
> exploring new collaborative projects in FY04. It is expected that at
> least one new DSS will emerge from that collaboration and that it will
> be baselined in FY04 or early FY05.

**IV. Application Activities: Projects**

Projects sponsored by the Earth Science Applications Division
agricultural efficiency element in FY04:

> A. Competitive solicitations: Approximately 52% of the funding
> allocated in FY03 to projects related to the agricultural efficiency
> application element was awarded through competitive solicitations. It
> is anticipated that agricultural efficiency will be part of a
> solicitation in the Earth Science Applications Division in FY04. These
> projects are expected to have a duration of three years, address
> decision support in agricultural efficiency, and to total no more than
> \$1M per year. If the FY04 solicitation is successful, 50% of funding
> for agricultural efficiency projects funded by the Division will go to
> projects awarded through competitive solicitations (assuming
> congressionally directed programs remain at the level estimated,) and
> 81% in FY05.
>
> • University of Maryland: C. Justice: "Integration of MODIS data
> products into operational procedures of Foreign Agriculture
> Service^1^" \$271K
>
> • Goddard Space Flight Center: S. Kempler: "Integrating NASA Earth
> Sciences Enterprise Data into Global Agricultural Decision Support
> Systems^2^" TRMM and MODIS products for Foreign Agriculture Service.
> \$350K
>
> • University of Maryland: J. Townshend: "The Global Land Cover
> Facility^2^" Extend MODIS products to U.S. Forest Service. \$300K
>
> • Institute for Technology Development: G. May: "Commercial
> Applications Technology Collaboration^3^" Ag20/20 decision support
> tools. \$475K
>
> • Utah State University: P. Rasmussen: "Validation and Application of
> Geospatial Information for Early Identification of Stress in Wheat^3^"
> Project ends in FY04. \$0K
>
> • Louisiana State University: R. Leonard: "Adapting and Validating
> Precision Technologies for Cotton Production in Mid-Southern United
> States^3^" \$316K
>
> • Oklahoma State University: G. Johnson: "Field Testing of a
> Sensor-Based Applicator for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilization^3^"
> Project ends in FY04. \$0K
>
> • NASA/SSC: R.McKellip: Data acquisition and program administration
> for last year of Ag20/20 program. \$150K

B.  Challenge Grants:

> • Mississippi State University: D. Shaw: Extending Earth science based
> climate and weather predictions to local agriculture^4^ \$350K
>
> • Mississippi State University: D. Shaw: Extending Earth science data
> for early warning of changes in yield from natural or anthropogenic
> sources.^4^ \$250K

C. Projects:

> • NASA/SSC: R. McKellip: "Evaluation of climate prediction
> capabilities against agricultural community requirements" Evaluation
> of NASA/ESE predictive capabilities for weather and climate at the
> continental to global scale for local to regional application. The
> project will extend through 2008 and supply initial assessments of
> potential impact of observations and measurements from existing and
> new Earth orbiting systems. Output provides guidance for program
> management in interagency collaborations and contents of
> solicitations. \$100K
>
> • NASA/SSC: R. McKellip: "Benchmark USDA PECAD DSS" Begin benchmarking
> MODIS and TRMM inputs to PECAD/CADRE DSS. \$200K
>
> • NASA/SSC: R. McKellip "Verification and validation of agricultural
> efficiency products" Verification and validation of products for
> PECAD/CADRE, Ag20/20 projects and other decision support systems as
> they are defined in the out years. \$350K.
>
> • Initiate new project with USDA to extend Earth science observations
> and/or model predictions in USDA decision support tool. \$120K

^1^Submitted to the Solid Earth and Natural Hazards NRA and funded by
the Ag. Efficiency Program Element.

> ^2^Funded by the REASoN CAN
>
> ^3^Funded by the Ag20/20 program
>
> ^4^Prior year funding expires in March 2004.

**V. Application Activities: Supporting Efforts**

At NASA HQ:

1)  Participate in NASA/USDA Interagency Working Group: Manage working
    group activities on behalf of NASA/ESE. Develop collaborative
    projects with USDA in agricultural efficiency. Review projects in
    all national application areas and make recommendations on sources
    for support funding, e.g., new joint solicitations, directed
    funding, etc.). Approximate cost is \$30K per year

2)  NASA representative to the Focus Area Working Group on agricultural
    efficiency as part of the NASA/USDA interagency activities. Help
    identify collaborative projects that meet USDA and NASA programmatic
    objectives. Working group is managed by USDA.

3)  Participate in conferences and workshops to update the community on
    agricultural efficiency program element. \$18K

4)  Fellowships: NASA Fellowships for the period 2002 through 2006 with
    potential impact on the agricultural efficiency program:

  -------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------
  [Name]{.underline}   [Institution]{.underline}   [Title]{.underline}

  Luz Maria Cisneros   University of California,   Quantifying Sources of Soil
  Dozal                Irvine                      Respiration and Their Response to
                                                   Environmental Changes

  Desheng Liu          University of California,   Systematic Evaluation of Machine
                       Berkeley                    Learning Approaches for Remote
                                                   Sensing Land Cover Classification

  Virginia Matzek      Stanford University         Plant Nutrients, Beyond N and P:
                                                   How Will Plant Growth Rates, Leaf
                                                   Traits, and Tissue Chemistry
                                                   Respond to the Altered
                                                   Stoichiometry of Anthropogenic
                                                   Global Change?

  Weile Wang           Boston University           Tracing Causality and Feedback
                                                   Relations between Land Surface
                                                   Temperatures and Vegetation
                                                   Activity in Twenty-Years of Remote
                                                   Sensing Data

  Mekonnen Woldemaria  University of Iowa          Characterization of the Spatial
                                                   Variability of Rainfall from
                                                   Remote Sensing
  -------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------

5)  Interdisciplinary Studies and EOS awards with potential impact on
    agricultural efficiency:

  -------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------
  [Name]{.underline}   [Institution]{.underline}   [Title]{.underline}

  Robert Dickinson     Georgia Tech.               Using MODIS Data to Characterize
                                                   Climate Model Land Surface
                                                   Processes and the Impacts of Land
                                                   Use/Cover Change on Surface
                                                   Hydrological Processes

  Jonathan Foley       University of Wisconsin     Agrciultural Land use and the
                                                   Transformation of Planet Earth:
                                                   Investigating the Effects of Land
                                                   use Practices on the Ecological,
                                                   Biogeochemical and Hydrological
                                                   Systems of the Planet

  Thomas Loveland      US Geological Survey        The Influence of Historical and
                                                   Projected Land use and Land Cover
                                                   Changes on Land Surface Hydrology
                                                   and regional Weather and Climate
                                                   Variability

  Gary Peterson        Pennsylvania State          Applying MODIS Parameters for Crop
                       University                  Yield Modeling
  -------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------

**VI. Budget Table**

  --------------------- -------------------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------
                        [Agricultural Efficiency -                                                           
                        Direct Costs]{.underline}                                                            

                                                         FY04         FY05         FY06         FY07         FY08

  ***Projects***                                                                                             

                        MODIS products for FAS-PECAD DSS 271          282          0            0            0
                        (UMd)                                                                                

                        Subtotal                         271          282          0            0            0

  ***Solicitations***                                                                                        

                        FY05 CAN/NRA                                  750          750          750          

                        FY07 CAN/NRA                                                            750          1000

                        Subtotal                         0            750          750          1500         1000

  ***Interagency                                                                                             
  Activities***                                                                                              

                        Extend Earth science to USDA DST 120          300          300          200          100

                        Program committee support        30           30           30           30           30

                        Subtotal                         150          330          330          230          130

                        ***Total (Program Element Direct *421*        *1362*       *1080*       *1730*       *1130*
                        Costs)***                                                                            

                                                                                                              

                        [Non Direct Costs]{.underline}                                                       

                        *Requests from Crosscutting*                                                         

  ***IBS/SysE***                                                                                             

                        Benchmark FAS PECAD DSS          200          200          150          0            0

                        V and V for agricultural         350          400          425          450          450
                        efficiency                                                                           

                        Climate prediction tools for ag  100          150          250          200          200
                        systems                                                                              

  ***MSU***                                                                                                  

                        Agricultural response to climate 350          350          250          0            0
                        change                                                                               

                        Biospheric productivity and ag   250          250          200          0            0
                        yield                                                                                

  ***Ag20/20***                                                                                              

                        Benchmark Ag20/20 DST            475          0            0            0            0

                        AGPT at LSU                      316          0            0            0            0

                        Data Acquisition                 100          0            0            0            0

                        Program administration           50                                                  

                        Subtotal                         2191         1350         1275         650          650

                        *Requests from Outreach*                                                             

                        Conferences                      10           15           20           20           20

                        Materials                        8            10           12           12           12

                        Subtotal                         18           25           32           32           32

  ***Solicitations***                                                                                        

                        MODIS/TRMM products - FAS        350          250          200          0            0
                        (REASoN) (GSFC)                                                                      

                        MODIS products for USFS DST      300          300          350          0            0
                        (REASoN)                                                                             

                        Subtotal                         650          550          550          0            0

                        ***Total (Non Direct Costs)***   *2859*       *1925*       *1857*       *682*        *682*

                                                                                                             

                        **TOTAL COSTS: Direct and Non    ***3280***   ***3287***   ***2937***   ***2412***   ***1812***
                        Direct**                                                                             
  --------------------- -------------------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------

**VII. Schedule & Milestones**

FY04:

October 2003

> • Complete the charter for the NASA/USDA focus area groups.

• Draft Letter of Agreement between NASA ESE and USDA FAS and USDA NASS
for specific collaboration on DSS improvement.

> • NASA/USDA Interagency Working Group meeting.

• Establish Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for delivery of MODIS
RR standard products to the CARDE.

November

• Complete an assessment of verification and validation plans for the
MODIS/FAS products.

• Begin evaluation of climate prediction tools and capabilities

December

> • Complete economic analysis of Ag20/20 2003 project results.
>
> • Conduct 2003 Ag20/20 Annual Review.

January 2004

> • Complete evaluation of the NASS domestic crop assessment DSS.

• Draft a plan for evaluating and quantifying improvement in FAS PECAD
system from introduction of MODIS products.

February

• Execute Letter of Agreement between NASA ESE and USDA FAS and USDA
NASS for specific collaboration on DSS improvement.

• Draft Roadmap with NASS to outline long-range integration of ESE
products into the domestic crop assessment DSS.

March

• Announcement of Earth Science Applications NRA (including agricultural
efficiency).

April

> • Begin 2004 (final) season of Ag20/20 large-scale demonstration
> projects.
>
> • NASA/USDA Interagency Working Group meeting
>
> • Develop plan for benchmarking final Ag20/20 project results

June

> • Interim report on climate prediction tools and capabilities

September

> • Complete 2004 (final) season of Ag20/20 large-scale demonstration
> projects.

FY05:

> • Benchmark improvements to PECAD/CADRE DSS using MODIS and TRMM
> products.
>
> • V and V for MODIS, TRMM and reservoir height products
>
> • Benchmark Ag20/20 products
>
> • Evaluate potential contribution of data from NASA exploratory
> missions (e.g., OCO, GPM, HYDROS) in agricultural DSS
>
> • Second biannual NASA/USDA workshop on Earth science applications

FY06-08:

> • Benchmark improvements in PECAD/CADRE DSS as appropriate
>
> • Develop and run simulations of new observations (e.g. OCO, HYDROS,
> etc.) in agricultural DSS

**VIII. Program Management and Performance Measures**

The agricultural efficiency management team uses performance measures to
track progress, identify issues, evaluate projects, make adjustments,
and establish results of the program element. The program's Goals and
Objectives (Section II) state what the program intends to achieve. These
measures help monitor progress within and across specific activities to
ensure the program meets its goals and objectives. The management team
analyzes these measures retrospectively in order to made adjustments
proscriptively to the program approach and objectives.

The measures are in two categories. Program management measures are
internally focused to assess the activities within the program.
Performance measures are externally focused to assess if the program
activities are serving their intended purpose. In general, the program
manager uses these measures to evaluate the performance of activities
conducted and sponsored by the program, especially the projects. In
addition, the Earth Science Applications Division uses this information
in preparing IBPD directions and PART responses.

Program Management Measures (Internally-focused):

+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| Inputs  | Potential issues and DSTs identified for agricultural      |
|         | efficiency -- *number, type, range*                        |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Eligible partners to collaborate with -- *number, type,    |
|         | range*                                                     |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Potential results/products identified to serve             |
|         | agricultural efficiency -- *number, type, range*           |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| Outputs | Assessments or evaluations of DSTs -- *number, range*      |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Assessments of Earth science results/products to serve     |
|         | DSTs -- *number, range*                                    |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Agreements with partners -- *presence*                     |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Reports (evaluation, validation, benchmark) -- *number,    |
|         | type*                                                      |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| Quality | Earth science results/products -- *number used per DST,    |
| &       | ratio of utilized to potential*                            |
| Eff     |                                                            |
| iciency | Agreements -- *ratio of agreements to committed partners*  |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Reports -- *partner satisfaction, timeliness, time to      |
|         | develop*                                                   |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Reports -- *ratio of validations to potential products,    |
|         | ratio of benchmarks to validations*                        |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+

Performance & Results Measures (Externally-focused):

+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| O       | Earth science products adopted in DSTs -- *number, type,   |
| utcomes | range; use in DST over time*                               |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Earth science products in use -- *ratio of products used   |
|         | by partners to reports produced*                           |
|         |                                                            |
|         | Partner & DST performance -- *change in partner DST        |
|         | performance, number & type of*                             |
|         |                                                            |
|         | > *public recognition of use & value of Earth science data |
|         | > in DST*                                                  |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| Impacts | Partner value -- *change in partner metrics (improvements  |
|         | in value of partner decisions)*                            |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+

In addition to the stated measures, the agricultural efficiency program
element manager periodically requests an assessment of its plans, goals,
priorities, and activities through external review. The agricultural
efficiency program element team uses these measures along with
comparisons to programmatic benchmarks to support assessments of the
Earth Science Applications Program (e.g. internal NASA reviews and OMB
PART).

**IX. Roadmap**

The Agricultural Efficiency roadmap (Figure 2) illustrates how NASA
capabilities in Earth observation, measurement, modeling and systems
engineering are exploited systematically to improve the decision support
systems and tools of USDA and other agencies and organizations making
policy and resource decisions for agriculture. The roadmap focuses on
USDA, baselining current capabilities and benchmarking improvements as
such improvements are integrated into USDA's operational procedures.

The primary activity in FY04 is the integration and evaluation of MODIS,
TRMM, Topex/Posidon and Jason-1 products. Beginning in FY05 and
continuing in the out years, data from new systems will be evaluated,
initially through simulations, then through analysis of the data when
available.

Several planned NASA Earth science missions have the potential to impact
USDA decision support tools and systems. These missions include OCO,
Aquarius and HYDROS. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) provides
space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the
principal anthropogenic driver of climate change. This mission uses
mature technologies to address NASA\'s highest priority carbon cycle
measurement requirement. OCO generates the knowledge needed to improve
projections of future atmospheric CO2. Aquarius is a focused satellite
mission to measure global sea surface salinity (SSS). Aquarius will
resolve missing physical processes that link the water cycle, the
climate, and the ocean. The Aquarius science goals are to observe and
model the processes that relate salinity variations to climatic changes
in the global cycling of water and to understand how these variations
influence the general ocean circulation. The HYDROS mission will provide
the first *global* views of Earth\'s changing soil moisture and land
surface freeze/thaw conditions, leading to breakthroughs in weather and
climate prediction and in the understanding of processes linking water,
energy, and carbon cycles.

The Roadmap shows the major events in the chronology toward evaluation
of these sources of data and information and the progression of the data
toward improved decision support systems and tools over the next ten
years.

![](media/image5.png){width="5.754861111111111in"
height="4.336805555555555in"}

Figure 2: Roadmap for Agricultural Efficiency

**NASA Earth Science Enterprise -- Earth Science Applications Program**

*Earth Science for Agricultural Efficiency*

This document contains the Agricultural Efficiency Plan for FY2004-2008.
This plan derives direction established in the NASA Strategic Plan, ESE
Strategy, Earth Science Applications Plan, Earth Science Applications
Program Plan, and OMB/OSTP guidance on research and development. The
plan aligns with and serves the commitments established in the NASA
Integrated Budget and Performance Document.

The Program Manager and the Earth Science Applications Program
Leadership have reviewed the plan and agree that the plan appropriately
reflects the goals, objectives, and activities for the Program Element
to serve the Earth Science Applications Program, ESE, NASA, the
Administration, and Society.

Ed Sheffner Date

Program Manager, Agricultural Efficiency

Earth Science Applications Program

NASA Earth Science Enterprise

Lawrence Friedl Date

Lead, Earth Science Applications

Earth Science Applications Program

NASA Earth Science Enterprise

Ron Birk Date

Director, Earth Science Applications Program

NASA Earth Science Enterprise