Location: Office of The Director
Project Number: 5030-21600-005-000-K
Project Type: Invalid Project Type
Start Date: Jun 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2031
Objective:
1. Inventory, assess, and characterize the observational data describing agricultural conservation practices that are available for modeling at national and sub-national scales.
2. Evaluate prototypes of methods to accurately map conservation activity data using earth observation data.
3. Develop calibration and validation processes for new agricultural data products, including scaling algorithms from the local to regional and national scales.
Approach:
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Quantification Action Area (AA) #6 will align work around several objectives to meet the previously-described goals. Key to these efforts is building an Interagency Conservation Practices Data Team, comprised of staff across four USDA agencies (ERS, NASS, ARS, and NRCS). The Conservation Practices Data Team will review the key data sources available for conservation practice and GHG-related data, develop proposals for data sources and data series to be developed, and refine methodologies for the conservation data series. Included in this mission is the ability to develop a comprehensive spatial database to assess the availability and impact of conservation related water management data and mapping products, such as rice cultivation, irrigation (drop, drip, flood), and tile drainage.
A multidisciplinary team of remote sensing, geospatial, and data scientists will perform tasks to accomplish the aforementioned objectives. Major tasks associated with the objectives include: 1) categorize current remotely sensed observational data into Readiness Levels (RLs) for use with national estimates of conservation data; 2) develop and improve mapping methods to ensure accurate estimation of spatial data products; 3) test calibration and validation processes for observational data products that require further development; and 4) develop scaling algorithms to extend data products into geographic regions where data are scarce. Tasks will be accomplished utilizing high-performance computing environments with access to published and unpublished data provided by collaborating USDA team leads from ERS and the NASS. The research team, which incorporates ARS scientists along with other USDA Action Area #6 team members will, collaborate on the production of data products that accurately map tillage practices, cover crops, and management practices.
