NASA Technology Monitors U.S. Corn Crop; Farmers, Environment and Space Travelers Benefit From Research

Attention: News Directors
Friday, June 24
6-10 a.m. EDT
Free 10-minute windows–with B-roll

• More than 25 million acres of corn are planted across the United States this year.
• Yet try telling the difference between traditional corn and bio-engineered corn — the type that has genes inserted to make it resistant to insects.
• NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency have found a way, using a special camera attached to a plane to monitor crops and help farmers determine if there’s pest infestation.
• NASA’s hyperspectral imaging technology cuts one snapshot into 120 color-specific images to capture characteristics invisible to the human eye.
• The aircraft flies at 8,000 feet over the same sites every 10 days. Images are put into a computer, and corn information is extracted for analysis.
• EPA gets early data about crop conditions and infestation resistance, while NASA enhances its understanding of image processing techniques.
• The technology could be used in space for early detection of stresses in plants, diagnosis and treatment of crew injuries and detection of mold and toxins in spacecraft.
• Talk to an expert about the technology and its benefits on Earth and in space.