SIGNIFICANCE: SUGARCANE CROPLANDS PROVIDE CANE STALK BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK FOR SUGAR AND BIOFUEL PRODUCTION. SUGARCANE IS THE LARGEST CROP IN THE WORLD BY PRODUCTION QUANTITY. IN COMPARISON TO OTHER MAJOR CROPS (MAIZE, SOYBEAN, WHEAT, RICE), THE CARBON-WATER-ENERGY FLUXES OF SUGARCANE CROPLANDS RECEIVED MUCH LESS ATTENTION, AND CONSEQUENTLY, THERE ARE LARGE GAPS IN DATA, INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE ON THE CARBON-WATER-ENERGY FLUXES OF SUGARCANE CROPLANDS. THIS PROPOSED PROJECT ASSEMBLES A TEAM FROM THE USDA-ARS SUGARCANE RESEARCH UNIT AND THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA TO STUDY THE CARBON-WATER-ENERGY FLUXES OF SUGARCANE CROPLANDS IN LOUISIANA, WHERE SUGARCANE PRODUCTION PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN RURAL ECONOMY AND SOCIETY, OFTEN CONTRIBUTING > $2 BILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT ANNUALLY.INTELLECTUAL MERITS: THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL (1) DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED SUGARCANE OBSERVATION SITE IN LOUISIANA, INCLUDING TWO EDDY FLUX TOWERS, IN-SITU, AIRBORNE (SUAS), AND SPACE-BORNE REMOTE SENSING, AND CARRY OUT 3-YEAR MEASUREMENTS AT THE SITE; (2) EVALUATE AND IMPROVE THE SUGARCANE MODULE (CANEGRO) IN THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR AGROTECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (DSSAT); AND (3) CHARACTERIZE THE SPATIAL-TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF SUGARCANE AREA AND BIOPHYSICAL PARAMETERS ACROSS COUNTY, WATERSHED AND BASIN SCALES IN LOUISIANA, USING IN-SITU SURVEY, REMOTE SENSING AND DSSAT CANEGRO MODEL.POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THIS PROPOSAL WILL SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CARBON-WATER-ENERGY FLUXES OF SUGARCANE CROPLANDS IN LOUISIANA. THE REMOTE SENSING TOOL AND DSSAT CANEGRO MODEL COULD BE READILY APPLIED TO OTHER SUGARCANE PRODUCTION AREAS IN USA, INCLUDING FLORIDA AND TEXAS, WHICH MAY PROVIDE DATA AND INFORMATION TO SUPPORT DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING BY STAKEHOLDERS FOR SUGARCANE CROPLANDS.

University Of Oklahoma, Norman OK

Investigators