USDA signs CRADA with ASRC Management Services

28 July 2008, 5:13pm

Washington, D.C., 28 July 2008 -- The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Office of Global Analysis (OGA), International Production Assessment Division, IPAD (formally known as PECAD) and the USDA Agricultural Research Service signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to collaborate on the further development of Crop Explorer, with ASRC Management Services, of Greenbelt, MD.

OGA/IPAD is responsible for global crop condition assessments and estimates of area, yield, and production for grains, oilseeds, and cotton. Their primary mission is to target, collect, analyze, and disseminate timely, objective, useful, and cost-effective global crop condition and agricultural market intelligence information.

OGA/IPAD is responsible for producing monthly world-wide crop production estimates for selected crops reported in the monthly World Agricultural Production (WAP) report. Crop Explorer is a tool which provides the USDA FAS analysts with agriculture analysis information using satellite imagery and ancillary information quickly and cost effectively.

The USDA FAS developed Crop Explorer in 2000 as a deliverable for the Hurricane Mitch and George Reconstruction projects. In its reconstruction efforts, USDA identified several shortcomings in agricultural infrastructure information, one of which was near real-time crop condition information. Crop Explorer was designed to provide near real-time information regarding crop condition for the affected countries—Honduras and Nicaragua.

Crop Explorer provides USDA FAS global agriculture crop condition products. Additionally Crop Explorer has evolved into a web portal consisting of internal and external linkages. Internal linkages connect directly to map and chart product types; the Commodity Intelligence Reports; the World Agricultural Production (WAP) circular; Production Briefs; FAS Attaché Reports; and the FAS Production, Supply and Distribution (PSD) database. External linkages retain the Crop Explorer interface while connecting to NASA/MODIS Rapid Response; NASA/MODIS NDVI at UMD; NASA/Global Reservoir; USGS/GLOVIS; TRMM-MPA; and the FEWS network.

As economic pressures continue to grow, from globalization, population pressures, resource depletion, global warming, etc., the demands on IPAD analysts have been increasing rapidly. Accordingly IPAD needs to rely increasingly on more sophisticated technology systems to increase the efficiency of its analytic practice. The USDA FAS has taken Crop Explorer to its current technology and product limits. Dr. Bradley Doorn, Remote Sensing Program Manager for the FAS stated, “I am delighted to be involved in the CRADA with ASRC MS. Crop Explorer has proven to be a tool which is utilized worldwide to assist in making critical agricultural decisions. This CRADA will infuse new and innovative technology into Crop Explorer which will allow improved access to USDA and other users to global crop conditions around the globe. Our collaboration with ASRC MS, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the original USDA FAS Crop Explorer team of Bob Baldwin, Curt Reynolds, and Robert Tetrault will improve Crop Explorer and allow it to continue to be a valuable input to those in need of crop yield and forecast data.”

Tim Lewis, President, ASRC MS stated, “The CRADA is one of the principal mechanisms used by federal facilities to engage in collaborative efforts with non-federal partners to achieve goals of technology transfer. With our current knowledge of the USDA FAS this technology transfer of Crop Explorer will allow us to continue to serve the USDA and other global clients by providing an Advanced Crop Explorer which will be an extremely useful and timely input into critical crop yield and forecasting models globally.“ ASRC MS has already begun its investment in Crop Explorer by supporting the USDA ARS for the development of advanced algorithms in carbon and crop residue management and other remotely sensed products.

The Crop Explorer current site can be accessed through http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/. In order to learn more about Crop Explorer and ASRC MS please stop by the Global Marketing Insights, Inc. and ASRC MS booth #1900 and 1902 at the 28th Annual ESRI International User Conference, August 5-8, 2008, San Diego, CA Convention Center.

Crop Explorer

Global Marketing Insights, Inc.

USDA

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation

USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

Geo: International