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The US Corn Belt just received a glowing report.

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A new study helps confirm that the Midwest is one of the most productive regions on Earth.

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The findings are based on a new way of estimating plant productivity from space.

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The method uses chlorophyll fluorescence data, which is a measurement of the amount of light a plant emits during photsynthesis.

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The light appears as a faint glow that's invisible to the naked eye, but can be detected by satellites.

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In 2013, a team of researchers led by NASA scientists demonstrated that plant fluorescence could be accurately mapped using satellite data.

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Now, the measurements are being applied for the first time to assess the productivity of croplands around the world.

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