Applying Astronomy Capability to Map an Invasive Weed: Leveraging Satellite Surveys to Inform "Famine Weed" Policy in Pakistan

应用天文学能力绘制入侵杂草地图：利用卫星调查为巴基斯坦的“饥荒杂草”政策提供信息

• 批准号: ST/R003009/1
• 负责人: Rene Breton
• 金额: $ 69.35万
• 依托单位: University of Manchester
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2018 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FR003009%2F1
• 关键词: Applying; Astronomy; Capability; Map; Invasive

It is projected that food demand will more than double by 2050 due to climate changes. The new generation of Earth observation data, including the Sentinel missions, offer the potential to identify and counteract crop yield declines. Astronomers are experts in analysing large multiband imaging surveys by making sense of the plethora of information using smaller targeted observations at high resolution and/or with spectroscopic information. This is exactly the expertise needed to utilise these new Earth observations to address global food security challenges. In this proposal, for the first time, we build crossover capabilities by focussing on a critical threat to two of the four most important crops in Pakistan (>75% of total output). Beyond the specific outputs of this project, this multi-disciplinary collaboration between astronomy, Earth observations and food security will also deliver transformative open-source tools. They will have secondary benefits to the UK in addressing global food security, and could be applied to challenges such as blackgrass in wheat. Furthermore they showcase the huge potential of STFC capabilities to contribute to tackling global challenges.Food security in Pakistan is reliant on its ability to produce wheat and rice. A new invasive species of weed, the "Famine Weed" (Parthenium hysterophorus), has been identified as a critical threat to agriculture and human prosperity in the region. Parthenium affects crop yields by as much as 90%, and has serious impacts on human and livestock health, and is therefore this project is of great importance to Pakistan. The University of Manchester and the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) have joined forces to define a key challenge area for STFC research: the use of astronomy image analysis for mapping Parthenium across Pakistan. With their Islamabad office, CABI have over sixty years of on-the-ground experience in Pakistan and a proven track record of undertaking agricultural research projects in this region. Combined with the world-leading expertise in astronomy image analysis and optical instrumentation engineering at Manchester, we propose a four-stage project to provide detailed mapping of Parthenium in wheat and rice agriculture for the major arable regions of Pakistan.Initially, we will aggregate and preprocess multispectral satellite imagery (WP1) and implement a campaign to collect high quality ground reference data (WP2) which is currently lacking. These will be combined to produce a computing framework for the detection of Parthenium in crops across the country. This will deliver static maps for the current extent of the weed (WP3) as well as a mechanism for future monitoring to be adopted by policy makers (WP4). We also place a strong emphasis on local academic capacity building through employment of local researchers, delivery of technical workshops, data hack challenge events and a researcher exchange program between Manchester and universities in Punjab (WP4).Impact is achieved via three interlinked outcomes:1) Policy makers become aware of and able to use satellite data for decision-making in agriculture, livestock, and human health;2) Improved methods allow for automated mapping and monitoring of the distribution of Parthenium in rice and wheat fields; and3) Pakistani researchers develop strengthened capacities in their fields that contribute to their ongoing work.

预计到2050年，由于气候变化，粮食需求将增加一倍以上。新一代地球观测数据，包括哨兵飞行任务，为查明和应对作物产量下降提供了潜力。天文学家是分析大型多波段成像巡天的专家，他们使用高分辨率和/或光谱信息的小型有针对性的观测来理解过多的信息。这正是利用这些新的地球观测来应对全球粮食安全挑战所需的专业知识。在这份提案中，我们首次通过关注巴基斯坦四种最重要作物中的两种（占总产量的75%以上）的严重威胁来建立交叉能力。除了该项目的具体产出外，天文学、地球观测和粮食安全之间的这种多学科合作还将提供变革性的开源工具。它们将对英国解决全球粮食安全问题产生次要好处，并可应用于小麦中的黑草等挑战。此外，他们还展示了STFC在应对全球挑战方面的巨大潜力。巴基斯坦的粮食安全依赖于其小麦和大米的生产能力。一种新的入侵杂草，"饥荒杂草"（银胶菊），已被确定为对该地区农业和人类繁荣的严重威胁。银胶菊对作物产量的影响高达90%，并对人类和牲畜的健康产生严重影响，因此该项目对巴基斯坦非常重要。曼彻斯特大学和国际农业与生物科学中心（CABI）联手定义了STFC研究的一个关键挑战领域：利用天文图像分析绘制巴基斯坦各地的银胶菊地图。凭借其伊斯兰堡办事处，CABI在巴基斯坦拥有超过60年的实地经验，并在该地区开展农业研究项目的良好记录。结合世界领先的专业知识，在天文图像分析和光学仪器工程在曼彻斯特，我们提出了一个四阶段的项目，提供详细的测绘Parthenium在小麦和水稻农业的主要耕地regions.Initial，我们将汇总和预处理多光谱卫星图像（WP 1）和实施一项运动，以收集高质量的地面参考数据（WP 2），这是目前缺乏。这些将结合起来，产生一个计算框架，用于检测全国各地农作物中的银胶菊。这将提供当前杂草范围的静态地图（WP 3）以及决策者未来采用的监测机制（WP 4）。我们还通过雇用当地研究人员、举办技术研讨会、数据破解挑战赛以及曼彻斯特与旁遮普大学之间的研究人员交流计划（WP 4），大力强调当地学术能力建设。通过三个相互关联的成果实现影响：1）决策者意识到并能够使用卫星数据进行农业、畜牧业和人类健康决策; 2）改进的方法可以自动绘制和监测银胶菊在稻田和麦田中的分布; 3）巴基斯坦研究人员在其领域的能力得到加强，这有助于他们正在进行的工作。