By Scout Nelson
Nebraska is joining a national agricultural innovation effort through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team (FIAT). The partnership brings together farmers, researchers, and technology experts to develop practical farming tools using satellite observations, digital agriculture, and on-farm information.
Paulman Farms near Sutherland joins the FIAT program and works with the University of Nebraska Digital Farming Lab to support research that benefits producers across the state. The collaboration also connects Nebraska agriculture with a nationwide network focused on improving farming through science and technology.
The FIAT program is part of NASA Acres, an agriculture and food security initiative supported by NASA’s Earth Science Division. The program encourages farmers to play an active role in developing technologies that address real agricultural challenges. Researchers and producers work together to ensure new tools meet the needs of modern farming operations.
One of the main research goals in Nebraska is improving nitrogen use efficiency in corn production. By combining satellite observations with field information and digital technology, researchers hope to provide farmers with better tools for making fertilizer decisions. Improved nitrogen management can help lower production costs, increase crop performance, and reduce environmental impacts.
Guillermo Balboa, assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska, said joining the program “creates an important opportunity to connect Nebraska’s field-based work with a national network.”
“FIAT is built around the idea that farmers should help shape the technologies and tools intended to serve them,” said Alyssa Whitcraft, program co-lead and executive director of Acres.
Although NASA’s work in Nebraska will not involve rockets or space missions, it brings valuable space-based technology directly to agriculture. Satellite data can help monitor crop conditions, improve field management, and support better farming decisions throughout the growing season.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-kotenko-a
Categories: Nebraska, Crops, Corn, Sustainable Agriculture