GeoResources Institute Making Mark on Economic Development

May 18, 2004

Starkville - While the technology at GeoResources Institute seems more fitting for Star Trek rather than Mississippi, officials say their work will help the state go were no one has gone in economic development.

Utilizing the latest in geo-spatial imaging technology, the institute is working with various sectors to improve the economic bottom line through less waste in manpower and resources.

Dr. David Shaw, director of the GeoResources Institute at Mississippi State University, said the technology can not only help improve quality of life through better resource management, but also can lead to new areas of economic development.

"We believe the work our scientists do with geotechnology can open up a new world in economic development," he said. "Through our research we have the technology that can help urban planners predict urban sprawland plan for economic development projects."

The GeoResources Institute (GRI) first opened in 2002 as the Remote Sensing Technology Center. University officials soon combined three other research departments dealing with similar technologies, creating GRI. The institute utilizes as many as 100 scientists.

Utilizing satellites and remote sensors on platforms and aircrafts, the institute develops technology that can map the earth's geography so precisely that weeds only 4 inches tall can be pinpointed. The institute's innovative methods in remote sensing and imaging has garnered prestigious partners, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Forestry Service.

Currently, one team of scientists is working on developing a system which uses satellite imaging to help cotton farmers identify parasites in plants before the infestation gets out of control. According to Debbie McBride, publication coordinator at GRI, these parasites cost cotton farmers across the U.S. more than $177 million in lost crops last year.

"There parasites, called Nematodes, are worm-like bugs that can destroy a crop. Some of our scientists have developed a way through this imaging process to see where these parasites are located within the soil," shesaid. "Before this, the only way to determine their location was to physically go to the site and collect a soil sample, which in turn had to be tested . that's too much time when a crop is on the line. Our method is not only more timely, but far more cost effective."

The technology is also being used to help farmers determine the location of weeds in a particular area of a field so pesticides can be more precise, reducing the amount of chemicals used, which saves time and money.

McBride said researchers have developed a wide array of fields in which to use the technology, from enhancing watershed management strategies to better protection of the country from possible bioterror attacks.

Emergency responders with the Homeland Security Department can better understand how chemical agents might spread if used to attack the United States.

"These emergency response teams can use geospatial imaging to tell how far and fast a particular chemical agent might spread by using this technology," she said. The technology is also capable of protecting the U.S. food supply by detecting subtle differences in land and plants.

"Bio terrorists could conceivably drop a chemical agent on our food sources that we may not be able to detect with the human eye, but this technology could give us a sign that something had changed within minutes," she said. "We don't consider this technology a matter of coming of age, but a matter of needing to embrace the future."

-- Original article appeared in the East Mississippi Business Journal, May 2004.