NASA Harvest Updates - June 2019
We've had a busy month at NASA Harvest! Read below for updates from our partners. Follow us on Twitter @NASAHarvest for live updates from our NASA Harvest Meeting, June 24-26!

Crop Monitor for AMIS Highlights Unprecedented Heavy Rainfall Affecting Planting in the US Corn Belt
Through April and May, wave after wave of rain hit the United States midwestern breadbasket, with the  wettest 12 months on record  for the continental United States capped in April. The past 60 days, in particular, have coincided with planting season in much of the country, leading to major planting delays. The GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for AMIS released June 6 reported on the delays and impact on maize crops.
Articles featured on Feed the Future's Agrilinks and NASA Harvest this month highlighted the GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for AMIS , internationally-driven crop assessments for the major production and export countries across the world, and the GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for Early Warning , an international initiative that provides monthly transparent and multisource consensus assessments of crop-growing and agroclimatic conditions that are likely to impact production over at-risk countries .

Sharing Technology, Boosting Food Security & Sustainability in the Field
In the wake of Cyclone Idai, NASA Harvest , in partnership with  SERVIR , a joint venture between  NASA  and the  U.S. Agency for International Development  (USAID), is working with the government of Uganda to help predict crop failure and drought. Uganda is using NASA satellite observations and technologies proactively to improve lives, save money, and increase food security.
Crop pests and diseases impact crop productivity, farmer profits and regional and national scale food security. A project led by 6th Grain researchers was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to pilot an early warning system for Fall Armyworm (FAW) to be deployed to farmers in African nations. 

University of Maryland researchers were also awarded a grant by the  Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research  under the Bill and Melinda Gates  Global Grand Challenge Initiative  to develop tools and technologies for broad-scale pest and disease surveillance of crop plants in low-income countries.

Accurate and timely crop yield forecasts are critical for making informed agricultural policies and investments, as well as increasing market efficiency and stability. Earth observation data from space can contribute to agricultural monitoring, including crop yield assessment and forecasting. A recent study by University of Maryland NASA Harvest Hub researchers details a new crop yield model covering a wide range of crop conditions relative to other available satellite data.

The  European Space Agency’s Living Planet Symposium  was held May 13th -17th, 2019 in Milan, Italy. This Symposium, held every three years, focuses on how Earth Observation contributes to science and society. At this event, scientists presented their latest findings on Earth’s environment and climate derived from satellite data. NASA Harvest was well represented at the meeting, with high visibility presentations from a range of Harvest partners covering subjects from operational agriculture and land monitoring, yield and area forecasting and estimation, heritage of coarse resolution monitoring, and agricultural information services.

Upcoming Events
NASA Harvest Meeting
Follow our Twitter @NASAHarvest June 24-26 for live updates from the NASA Harvest meeting! We will be recording the meeting for later viewing online .

24 June: Harvest All Hands Meeting
25 June: Harvest Conference
26 June: Eastern Africa & Domestic Strategy Day
Submit Abstracts for our AMS Session on Earth Observations and Environmental Modeling for Agriculture and Food Security by August 1, 2019!
What's New For Harvest