MSU researchers receive NASA grant to help farmers combat climate change

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Michigan State University is helping farmers by developing new ways to protect crops from climate change.

Researchers at MSU are part of a team of more than 30 researchers and stakeholders nationwide who are using a five-year, $15 million grant from NASA to bolster United States agriculture as it deals with climate threats.

“In the U.S., there are more than 20 million jobs related to farming,” said David Roy, interim director of MSU’s Center for Global Change and Earth Observations and a professor of geography in the College of Social Science. “This grant will empower sustainable, productive and resilient agricultural decision-making and policy.”

The grant begins in January 2023 and is called NASA ACRES: A Climate Resilient Ecosystem Approach to Strengthening U.S. Agriculture.

Its ultimate goal is to assist farmers in using earth science data gathered by NASA to improve their farms.

“The hope is that in the future, this data can be used to help farmers improve the climate resilience of their farms,” said Lin Yan, an assistant professor with the CGCEO, representing MSU.