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At least 19 records

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NASA NTRS2001

Nutrient Stress Detection in Corn Using Neural Networks and AVIRIS Hyperspectral Imagery

AVIRIS image cube data has been processed for the detection of nutrient stress in corn by both known, ratio-type algorithms and by trained neural networks. The USDA Shelton, NE, ARS Variable Rate Nitrogen Application (VRAT) experimental farm was the site used in the study. Upon application of ANOVA and Dunnett multiple comparsion tests on the outcome of both the neural network processing and the ratio-type algorithm results, it was found that the neural network methodology provides a better overall capability to separate nutrient stressed crops from in-field controls.

Estep, Lee↗

NASA NTRS2001

Nutrient Stress Detection in Corn, Using Neural Networks and AVIRIS Hyperspectral Imagery

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Variable Rate (VRAT) Nitrogen Application site in Shelton, Nebraska, represents a well-documented, corn-growing quarter section. The USDA VRAT site is used to systematically study nutrient stress in corn by varying sub-plot application of fertilizer. The field has four replicates of five blocks that vary by nitrogen treatment from 0-kg/ha to 200-kg/ha in 50-kg/ha increments. The treatment blocks are set out in a randomized, complete block design. Typically, the VRAT is planted in a ridge till, monoculture corn and is watered by a central pivot irrigation system on a three-day period. Since water stress can increase spectral reflectance from corn leaves, it is important that the N-application plots be adequately watered so that only nutrient-related stress will predominate. A figure shows imagery of the USDA VRAT site with the fertilizer amounts for each block shown. Low-altitude Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) hyperspectral imagery was acquired over the Shelton, Nebraska, VRAT site on July 22, 1999. The overflight produced 3-meter pixels with 224 spectral bands. Ground personnel supported the mission with measurements at the time of the overflight. The image data was pre-processed at JPL before being sent out to an investigator. The data arrived radiometrically corrected, allowing ready application of an atmospheric correction procedure. The Atmosphere Removal Program (ATREM) was used to perform an atmospheric correction. The AVIRIS imagery after ATREM correction was output as relative reflectance. This relative reflectance file was scaled by an empirical line procedure to provide reflectances that matched closely those measured in the field.

Estep, Lee↗

NASA NTRS2007

Contribution of Chlorophyll Fluorescence to the Apparent Reflectance of Vegetation

Current strategies for monitoring the physiologic status of terrestrial vegetation rely on remote sensing reflectance (R) measurements, whi ch provide estimates of relative vegetation vigor based primarily on chlorophyll content. Vegetation chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) offers a non-destructive alternative and a more direct approach for diagnosis of vegetation stress before a significant reduction in chlorophyll content has occurred. Thus, monitoring of vegetation vigor based on CF may allow earlier stress detection and more accurate carbon sequestra tion estimates, than is possible using R data alone. However, the observed apparent vegetation reflectance (Ra) in reality includes contrib utions from both the reflected and fluoresced radiation. The aim of t his study is to determine the relative R and CF fractions contributing to Ra from the vegetation in the red to near-infrared region of the spectrum. The practical objectives of the study are to: 1) evaluate t he relationship between CF and R at the foliar level for corn, soybean, maple; and 2) for corn, determine if the relationship established f or healthy (optimal N) vegetation changes under N defiiency. To obtai n generally applicable results, experimental measurements were conducted on unrelated crop and tree species (maple, soybean and corn), unde r controlled conditions and a gradient of inorganic N fertilization l evels. Optical R spectra and actively induced CF emissions were obtained on the same foliar samples, in conjunction with measurements of p hotosynthetic function, pigment levels, and C and N content. The comm on spectral trends or similarities were examined. On average, 10-20% of apparent R at 685 nm was actually due to CF. The spectral trends in steady and maximum F varied significantly, with Fs (especially red) showing higher ability for species and treatment separation. The relative contribution of ChF to R varied significantly among species, with maple emitting much higher F amounts, as compared to corn and soybea n. Fs individual red and far-red bands and their ratio exhibited consistent species separations. For corn, the relative CF fraction increased in concert with the nutrient stress levels from <2% for non-stressed foliage to >7% for severely nutrient deficient plants. F685s provide d optimal treatment separation. This study confirms the trends in F68 5sE740s associated with N deficiency and vegetation stress, established usmg single narrow band excitation.

Campbell, P. K. Entcheva↗

NASA NTRS1997

Calcification and photosynthesis of the coral acropora cervicornis under calcium limited conditions

Differing hypothesis about the function of calcification are based on an interesting dilemma. Is the purpose of calcification mainly a structural and protective one or does calcification serve other functions? Does photosynthesis increase carbonate ion activity and cause calcification or does calcification increase CO2 levels and stimulate photsynthesis? It is proposed that calcification in corals is not dependent upon photosynthesis but upon calcium levels in the water. Under normal ocean conditions, corals convert a certain percentage of energy to photosynthesis and respiration and another percentage to calcification. As corals become nutrient stressed, particularly calcium limited, the ratio of photosynthesis to calcification shifts towards calcification in order to generate protons. The protons generated during calcification may stimulate photosynthesis and aid in the uptake of nutrients and biocarbonates. The results of the calcification experiment show a trend towards increased calcification and decreased photosynthesis when the coral Acropora cervicornis is calcium limited, but the data are inconclusive and further research is needed.

Rathfon, Megan↗

NASA NTRS2024

Substrate Matters: Ionic Silver Alters Lettuce Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Root Microbiome in a Hydroponics System

Ionic silver (Ag+) is being investigated as a residual biocide for use in NASA spacecraft potable water systems on future crewed missions. This water will be used to irrigate future spaceflight crop production systems. We have evaluated the impact of three concentrations (31 ppb, 125 ppb, and 500 ppb) of ionic silver biocide solutions on lettuce in an arcillite (calcinated clay particle substrate) and hydroponic (substrate-less) growth setup after 28 days. Lettuce plant growth was reduced in the hydroponic samples treated with 31 ppb silver and severely stunted for samples treated at 125 ppb and 500 ppb silver. No growth defects were observed in arcillite-grown lettuce. Silver was detectable in the hydroponic-grown lettuce leaves at each concentration but was not detected in the arcillite-grown lettuce leaves. Specifically, when 125 ppb silver water was applied to a hydroponics tray, Ag+ was detected at an average amount of 7 μg/g (dry weight) in lettuce leaves. The increase in Ag+ corresponded with a decrease in several essential elements in the lettuce tissue (Ca, K, P, S). In the arcillite growth setup, silver did not impact the plant root zone microbiome in terms of alpha diversity and relative abundance between treatments and control. However, with increasing silver concentration, the alpha diversity increased in lettuce root samples and in the water from the hydroponics tray samples. The genera in the hydroponic root and water samples were similar across the silver concentrations but displayed different relative abundances. This suggests that ionic silver was acting as a selective pressure for the microbes that colonize the hydroponic water. The surviving microbes likely utilized exudates from the stunted plant roots as a carbon source. Analysis of the root-associated microbiomes in response to silver showed enrichment of metagenomic pathways associated with alternate carbon source utilization, fatty-acid synthesis, and the ppGpp (guanosine 3′-diphosphate 5′-diphosphate) stringent response global regulatory system that operates under conditions of environmental stress. Nutrient solutions containing Ag+ in concentrations greater than 31 ppb in hydroponic systems lacking cation-exchange capacity can severely impact crop production due to stunting of plant growth.

lettuce↗

NASA NTRS2015

Remotely Sensing the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI)

In remote sensing, the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) provides insight into physiological processes occurring inside the leaves in a stand of plants. Developed by Gamon et al., (1990 and 1992), PRI evolved from laboratory measurements of the reflectance of individual leaves (Bilger et al.,1989). Yet in a remotely sensed image, a pixel measurement may include light from both reflecting and transmitting leaves. We conducted laboratory experiments comparing values of PRI based upon polarized reflectance and transmittance measurements of water and nutrient stressed leaves. We illuminated single detached leaves using a current controlled light source (Oriel model 66881) and measured the leaf weight using an analytical balance (Mettler model AE 260) and the light reflected and transmitted by the leaf during dry down using two Analytical Spectral Devices spectroradiometers. Polarizers on the incident and reflected light beams allowed us to divide the leaf reflectance into two parts: a polarized surface reflectance and a non-polarized 'leaf interior' reflectance. Our results underscore the importance when calculating PRI of removing the leaf surface reflection, which contains no information about physiological processes ongoing in the leaf interior. The results show that the leaf physiology information is in the leaf interior reflectance, not the leaf transmittance. Applied to a plant stand, these results suggest use of polarization measurements in sun-view directions that minimize the number of sunlit transmitting leaves in the sensor field of view.

Leaves↗

NASA NTRS2022

Merging of the Case 2 Regional Coast Colour and Maximum‑Peak Height Chlorophyll‑a Algorithms: Validation and Demonstration of Satellite‑derived Retrievals Across US Lakes

Water quality monitoring is relevant for protecting the designated, or beneficial uses, of water such as drinking, aquatic life, recreation, irrigation, and food supply that support the economy, human well-being, and aquatic ecosystem health. Managing finite water resources to support these designated uses requires information on water quality so that managers can make sustainable decisions. Chlorophyll-a (chl-a, µg L−1) concentration can serve as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass and may be used as an indicator of increased anthropogenic nutrient stress. Satellite remote sensing may present a complement to in situ measures for assessments of water quality through the retrieval of chl-a with in-water algorithms. Validation of chl-a algorithms across US lakes improves algorithm maturity relevant for monitoring applications. This study compares performance of the Case 2 Regional Coast Colour (C2RCC) chl-a retrieval algorithm, a revised version of the Maximum-Peak Height (MPH(P)) algorithm, and three scenarios merging these two approaches. Satellite data were retrieved from the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), while field observations were obtained from 181 lakes matched with U.S. Water Quality Portal chl-a data. The best performance based on mean absolute multiplicative error (MAEmult) was demonstrated by the merged algorithm referred to as C15−M10 (MAEmult = 1.8, biasmult = 0.97, n = 836). In the C15−M10 algorithm, the MPH(P) chl-a value was retained if it was > 10 µg L−1; if the MPH(P) value was ≤ 10 µg L−1, the C2RCC value was selected, as long as that value was < 15 µg L−1. Time-series and lake-wide gradients compared against independent assessments from Lake Champlain and long-term ecological research stations in Wisconsin were used as complementary examples supporting water quality reporting requirements. Trophic state assessments for Wisconsin lakes provided examples in support of inland water quality monitoring applications. This study presents and assesses merged adaptations of chl-a algorithms previously reported independently. Additionally, it contributes to the transition of chl-a algorithm maturity by quantifying error statistics for a number of locations and times.

Satellite↗

NASA NTRS1994

The effects of temporal variability of mixed layer depth on primary productivity around Bermuda

Temporal variations in primary production and surface chlorophyll concentrations, as measured by ship and satellite around Bermuda, were simulated with a numerical model. In the upper 450 m of the water column, population dynamics of a size-fractionated phytoplankton community were forced by daily changes of wind, light, grazing stress, and nutrient availability. The temporal variations of production and chlorophyll were driven by changes in nutrient introduction to the euphotic zone due to both high- and low-frequency changes of the mixed layer depth within 32 deg-34 deg N, 62 deg-64 deg W between 1979 and 1984. Results from the model derived from high-frequency (case 1) changes in the mixed layer depth showed variations in primary production and peak chlorophyll concentrations when compared with results from the model derived from low-frequency (case 2) mixed layer depth changes. Incorporation of size-fractionated plankton state variables in the model led to greater seasonal resolution of measured primary production and vertical chlorophyll profiles. The findings of this study highlight the possible inadequacy of estimating primary production in the sea from data of low-frequency temporal resolution and oversimplified biological simulations.

Bissett, W. Paul↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluating Plant Suberin Mutants for Enhanced Water and Nutrient Uptake to Increase Biomass Production Under Elevated CO2 Concentrations

Spaceflight cabin environments such as the International Space Station (ISS) typically have elevated CO2(1500-7000 μmol mol-1), which can affect plant growth and development. On earth, findings from FACE (Free-Air CO2Enrichment) and climate change studies have shown that plants grown at elevated (~ 700 μmol mol-1) CO2contain reduced levels of essential elements such as nitrogen, zinc, and iron. We hypothesized that spacecraft environments with elevated CO2 might likewise result in less nutritious crops for human consumption. Literature showed that quantitative differences in root suberin content could determine the permeability of the internal plant tissues to both water and solutes. To evaluate if there was a correlation between growth under elevated CO2and root suberin content we grew Arabidopsis thaliana, wild type (WT)(col-0), esb1(Enhanced Suberin 1) and horst1(Hydroxylase of Root Suberized Tissue)under ambient (~ 420± 25μmol mol-1) and elevated (800 ± 25, 1600 ± 25, 4000 ± 25 μmol mol-1) CO2concentrations. Comparing the growth of esb1and horst1plants to WT under ambient and elevated CO2concentrations, esb1showed significantly (P-value < 0.05) lower total fresh biomass whereas the horst1exhibited no significant difference. RNA sequencing revealed genes related to water uptake or nutrient availability stress upregulated due to the exposure to 800 and 1600 μmol mol-1CO2.Comparing the elemental composition of leaf tissue between WT and horst1plants grown under elevated CO2,we found an overall decrease in elemental composition for WT, whereas horst1showed an average increase of 30-60 % in the elemental contentsat1600 μmol mol-1compared to plants grown at ambient CO2. In conclusion, our results showed that horst1like modification to edible crops could improve the nutritional (elemental) content to supplement astronaut’s diet.

Anirudha R Dixit↗

NASA NTRS2022

Vertical Structure in Phytoplankton Growth and Productivity Inferred From Biogeochemical-Argo Floats and the Carbon-Based Productivity Model

Estimates of marine net primary production (NPP) commonly rely on limited in situ 14C incubations or satellite-based algorithms mainly constrained to the surface ocean. Here we combine data from biogeochemical Argo floats with a carbon-based productivity model (CbPM) to compute vertically-resolved estimates of NPP. Inferred NPP profiles derived by informing the CbPM with float-based, depth-resolved, bio-optical data are able to qualitatively reproduce the vertical structure in NPP inferred from in situ 14C incubations at various ocean regions. At station ALOHA, float-based estimates agree within uncertainty with productivity observations at depth, but underestimate surface NPP. We test the ability of the CbPM to infer the depth-resolved structure in NPP from bio-optical properties in the mixed layer, in similar fashion as how remote sensing algorithms of ocean productivity operate. In Southern Ocean waters, the depth-reconstructing implementation of the CbPM overestimates phytoplankton division rates and Chl:C below the mixed layer, resulting in artificially high subsurface NPP when compared with the fully float-informed implementation of the model. The CbPM subsurface extrapolation of phytoplankton Chl, Chl:C division rates, and NPP improves by accounting for deep nutrient (iron) stress impacts on photoacclimation in the Southern Ocean. This improvement is also observed in vertically- integrated NPP, where the mean bias between model implementations in depth-integrated productivity south of 30◦S is reduced by 62 % when account for deep iron limitation. Our results demonstrate that profiling data from biogeochemical Argo floats can serve to inform regional adjustments that lead to the improvement of marine productivity algorithms.

NPP↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Selection Factors for Space Crops

NASA is actively researching space crop production to determine its potential to contribute to food system security on long duration missions beyond Low Earth Orbit. Our near-term focus is on nutrient and variety supplementation of prepackaged food with fresh produce that requires little or no processing. The longer-term goal is caloric replacement to become less dependent on Earth, and this will require cultivation of staple crops, processing and cooking equipment, integration with spacecraft air, water, and power systems, and automation. There are numerous technology and knowledge gaps remaining for sustainable space crop production systems, but one high-impact area is in the development of crops specifically customized to meet the needs of controlled environment crop production, astronaut health and well-being, and space-unique environments. Modern crop breeding and genome engineering tools are allowing for rapid development of new genotypes with incredible specificity. Targeted aspects to optimize crops for space have been identified and characterized into five categories: plant growth and development, plant physiology, produce nutrition, produce organoleptic acceptability, and postharvest characteristics. Within each category there are several targets that further the development of crop production systems for spaceflight, such as crop size and harvest index, tolerance to specific environmental stresses, optimizing target nutrients that are low or degrade in the packaged diet, maintenance time requirements, and less indigestible structural material. NASA-funded PIs are already beginning to develop candidate crops, and spaceflight testing and validation of novel space crops is on the horizon. Crops developed for space also have the potential to benefit terrestrial controlled environment agriculture crop production systems. This research was supported by NASA’s Space Biology and Human Research Programs.

Space Crop Production↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Selection Factors for Space Crops

Space Crop Production↗

NASA NTRS2006

An Axenic Plant Culture System for Optimal Growth in Long-Term Studies: Design and Maintenance

The symbiotic co-evolution of plants and microbes leads to difficulties in understanding which of the two components is responsible for a given environmental response. Plant-microbe studies greatly benefit from the ability to grow plants in axenic (sterile) culture. Several studies have used axenic plant culture systems, but experimental procedures are often poorly documented, the plant growth environment is not optimal, and axenic conditions are not rigorously verified. We developed a unique axenic system using inert components that promotes plant health and can be kept sterile for at least 70 d. Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum cv. DII) plants were grown in sand within flow-through glass columns that were positively pressured with filtered air. Plant health was optimized by regulating temperature, light level, CO2 concentration, humidity, and nutrients. The design incorporates several novel aspects, such as pretreatment of the sand with Fe, graduated sand layers to optimize the air-water balance of the root zone, and modification of a laminar flow hood to serve as a plant growth chamber. Adaptations of several sterile techniques were necessary for maintenance of axenic conditions. Axenic conditions were verified by plating and staining leachates as well as rhizoplane stain. This system was designed to study nutrient and water stress effects on root exudates, but is useful for assessing a broad range of plant-microbe-environment interactions. Based on total organic C analysis, 74% of exudates was recovered in the leachate, 6% was recovered in the bulk sand, and 17% was recovered in the rhizosphere sand. Carbon in the leachate after 70 d reached 255 micro-g/d. Fumaric, malic, malonic, oxalic, and succinic acids were measured as components of the root exudates.

Henry, Amelia↗

NASA NTRS2005

Examining Dehydration and Hypoxic Stress in Wheat Plants Using a Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System Developed for Microgravity

The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS) was designed for NASA to grow plants in microgravity of space. The system utilizes a controlled fluid loop to supply nutrients and water to plant roots growing on a ceramic surface moistened by capiflary action. A PTPNDS test bed was developed and utilizing remote sensing systems, spectral analyses procedures, gas-exchange, and fluorescence measurements, we examined differences in plant water status for wheat plants (Triticum aestivum, cv. Perigee) grown in a modified growth chamber during the summers of 2003 and 2004. Some differences in plant performance were detectable in the gas-exchange and fluorescence measurements. For instance, in both years the plants grown with the most available water had the lowest rates of photosynthesis and exhibited higher proportions of non-photochemical quenching particularly under low light levels. In addition, small differences in mean leaf water content between treatments were detected using spectral reflectance analyses.

Dreschel, T. W.↗

NASA NTRS1998

The Coupling of Solution Chemistry to Plant Nutrient Demand in an on Demand Nutrient Delivery System

The goal of the proposal will be to determine the suitability of the DASI instrument in providing a signal that can be recognized and be utilized as an indicator of plant stress. The method to be utilized for evaluating stress is the presentation of an every increasing level of nutrient deficiency and salinity stress (addition of salt (NACl) or increasing concentration of balanced nutrient) while simultaneously recording spectral reflectance using the DASI instrument and monitoring the traditional processes of gas exchange and nutrient uptake parameters. In this manner, we will be able to directly compare the DASI measurements with known stresses as determined by the traditional gas exchange and nutrient uptake measures of stress. We anticipate that the DASI will provide a sensitive identifier of plant stress; recording signals of the resulting changes in plant metabolism in real time, far before any visible effects of stress could be observed. Thus, there is a potential for very early management intervention to correct a stress condition before damage could develop. The present response time for the observation of visual symptoms of plant stress is considerable and only provides an indication that a stress is present after it has been present for an extended period of time. Thus, the impact of a plant-based life support function will have already been significant. An additional benefit of this research to regenerative life support will be the characterization of a potential recovery scenario from various degrees of stress. The experimental approach to be employed includes the removal of the stress at various points in the stress gradient and the characterization of plant performance and reflectance spectra during recovery from various degrees of stress. Spectral reflectance imaging techniques have been developed and used to measure the biochemical composition of plants and relate these characteristics to the fluxes of biochemical elements within the ecosystem.

Savage, Wayne↗

NASA NTRS1986

Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) from plant foliage

The fluorescence spectra and fluorescence induction kinetics of green plants excited at 337 nm by a laser were studied. They correlate with plant type, as well as with changes in the physiology of the plant as the result of stress. The plant types studied include herbaceous dicots, monocots, hardwoods, conifers, and algae. These plant types could be identified on the basis of differences in either the number of fluorescent bands or the relative intensity of the bands. Differences in fluorescent spectra which could be related to vigor status are observed in conifers located in an area of high atmospheric deposition. Changes in the fluorescence spectra and induction kinetics are also seen in plants grown under conditions of nutrient deficiency and drought stress.

Chappelle, E. W.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) from plant foliage

Chappelle, Emmett W.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Diurnal and Directional Responses of Chlorophyll Fluorescence and the PRI in a Cornfield

Determining the health and vigor of vegetation using high spectral resolution remote sensing is an important goal which has application to monitoring agriculture and ecosystem productivity and carbon exchange. Two spectral indices used to assess whether vegetation is performing near-optimally or exhibiting symptoms of environmental stress (e.g., drought or nutrient deficiency, non-optimal temperatures, etc.) are the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) and solar-induced red and far-red Chlorophyll Fluorescence (Fs). Both the PRI and Fs capture the dynamics of photoprotection mechanisms within green foliage: the PRI is based on the association of the reflected radiation in the green spectrum with the xanthophyll cycle, whereas Fs measures the emitted radiation in the red and far-red spectrum. Fs was determined from retrievals in the atmospheric oxygen absorption features centered at 688 and 760 nm using a modified Fraunhofer Line Depth (FLD) method. We previously demonstrated diurnal and seasonal PRI differences for sunlit vs. shaded foliage in a conifer forest canopy, as expressed in the hotspot and darkspot of the Bidirectional Reflectance Function (BRF). In a USDA-ARS experimental field site located in Beltsville, MD, USA, measurements were acquired over a corn crop from a nadir view in 2008 with an ASD FieldSpec Pro (Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc., Boulder, CO, USA) to study the behavior of the PRI for sunlit and shaded foliage as captured in reflectance variations associated with the BRF, in a I m tall canopy in the vegetative growth stage. Those observations were compared to simulations obtained from two radiative transfer models. Measurements were then acquired to examine whether the PRI and Fs were influenced by view zenith and azimuth geometries at different times of day. Those measurements were made in 2010 with the Ocean Optics USB4000 Miniature Fiber Optic Spectrometer (Ocean Optics Inc., Dunedin, Florida, USA) at several times during the day on multiple days throughout the growing season. We found that the PRI consistently had higher values, indicating lower stress, in the BRF darkspot associated with shaded foliage than in the hotspot associated with sunlit foliage. We also found that Fs exhibited differences associated with sunlit and shaded canopy sectors, which were most pronounced for the red/far-red Fs ratio. Values indicated greater physiological stress in afternoons compared to mornings, and in the early senescent canopy as compared to the vegetative growth stage, BRFs for both the PRI and the red/far-red Fs ratio were bowl-shaped for the full azimuth sweep of the canopy. These two spectral indices (PRI, Fs ratio) provided complementary information on the photosynthetic function of the corn canopy.

Middleton, Elizabeth↗