According to reports, the federal government is giving 1.4 million dollars in funding to 5 universities in order to study measurements of soil moisture in northern areas that have been taken by a NASA satellite. It is being said that the funding could lead to creation of global maps of soil moisture to know about weather changes and climate.

The funding projects have been announced by member of the Canadian Parliament Lawrence Toet (Elmwood-Transcona) at five Canadian universities for analysis and compilation of measurements gathered by NASA's Soil and Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite.

As per reports, the SMAP mission will offer measurements of soil moisture and help find out whether the ground is softened or frozen in the Canadian boreal environment in addition to other areas of the world that are cold.

It is expected that this data could assist in improving weather forecasting together with more precise flood and drought predictions. By using information regarding changing weather and water conditions, Canadian farmers will understand more about crop yields and will also get early warnings related to soil conditions that could give rise to crop-damaging pests.

According to Member of Parliament Lawrence Toet (Elmwood-Transcona), "Agriculture is an important part of Manitoba's economy. By providing our farmers with key data to better manage their land, we are helping to ensure the agricultural sector continues to drive productivity and prosperity in the province". By getting information from space, Canada will be able to manage natural resources in a better way, particularly in the farming industry, according to Industry Minister James Moore.