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Remote sensing, in particular satellite imagery, has been widely used to map cropland, analyze cropping systems, monitor crop changes, and estimate yield and production. However, although satellite imagery is useful within large scale agriculture applications (such as on a national or provincial scale), it may not supply sufficient information with adequate resolution, accurate geo-referencing, and specialized biological parameters for use in relation to the rapid developments being made in modern agriculture. Information that is more sophisticated and accurate is required to support reliable decision-making, thereby guaranteeing agricultural sustainability and national food security. To achieve this, strong integration of information is needed from multi-sources, multi-sensors, and multi-scales. In this paper, we propose a new framework of satellite, aerial, and ground-integrated (SAGI) agricultural remote sensing for use in comprehensive agricultural monitoring, modeling, and management. The prototypes of SAGI agriculture remote sensing are first described, followed by a discussion of the key techniques used in joint data processing, image sequence registration and data assimilation. Finally, the possible applications of the SAGI system in supporting national food security are discussed.

The hexanitratolanthanate anion (La(NO(3))(6)(3-)) is an interesting symmetric anion suitable to construct the component of water-free rare-earth-metal ionic liquids. The syntheses and structural characterization of eleven lanthanum nitrate complexes, [C(n)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)] (n=1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 18), including 1,3-dimethylimidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([C(1)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 1), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([C(2)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 2), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([C(4)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 3), 1-isobutyl-3-methylimidazolium hexanetratolanthanate ([isoC(4)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 4), 1-methyl-3-(3'-methylbutyl)imidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([MC(4)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 5), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([C(6)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 6), 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([C(8)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 7), 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([C(12)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 8), 1-methyl-3-tetradecylimidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([C(14)mim](3)[La-(NO(3))(6)], 9), 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimid-azolium hexanitratolanthanum ([C(16)dmim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 10), and 1-methyl-3-octadecylimidazolium hexanitratolanthanate ([C(18)mim](3)[La(NO(3))(6)], 11) are reported. All new compounds were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR, and IR spectroscopy as well as elemental analysis. The crystal structure of compound 1 was determined by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, giving the following crystallographic information: monoclinic; P2(1)/c; a=15.3170 (3), b=14.2340 (2), c=13.8954(2) Å; β=94.3453(15)°, V=3020.80(9) Å(3), Z=4, ρ=1.764 g cm(-3). The coordination polyhedron around the lanthanum ion is rationalized by six nitrate anions with twelve oxygen atoms. No hydrogen-bonding network or water molecule was found in 1. The thermodynamic stability of the new complexes was investigated by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The water-free hexanitratolanthanate ionic liquids are thermal and moisture stable. Four complexes, namely complexes 8-11, were found to be ionic liquid crystals by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). They all present smectic A liquid-crystalline phase.

Eight 5-aminotetrazolate (AT) salts based on the 1,2,3-trimethylimidazolium (1), 1,3-dimethylimidazolium (2), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (3), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (4), 1-isobutyl-3-methylimidazolium (5), 1-(3′-methylbutyl)-3-methylimidazolium (6), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium (7) and 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium (8) cations have been synthesized in high yields and fully characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. White plate crystals of 1 were isolated in methanol/diethyl ether and crystallized. Both the AT anion and the 1,2,3-trimethylimidazolium cation in 1 were delocalized. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) combined with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) tests were used to assess the thermal stabilities of the AT salts. These salts decomposed within the temperature range 230 °C–262 °C. Salts 3–8 are very fluent room-temperature ionic liquids, whose glass transition temperatures are low. Their viscosities at 30 °C are in the range from 92 cP to 208 cP. A correlation between the viscosity and temperature was found, and the ionic liquids to do not display an Arrhenius temperature behaviour. In addition, the standard enthalpies of formation of salts 1–8 were investigated and analyzed by the theoretical methods. Salt 2 with the 1,3-dimethylimidazolium cation gave the highest positive enthalpy of formation. For the assessment of the energetic character of the AT salts, impact sensitivities and friction sensitivities were recorded. These AT salts are insensitive to impact (>40 J) and friction (>360 N) confirmed by UN standards. The reactions of these AT salts with 100 % HNO3 were also determined.

Five hexanitratoneodymate-based rare earth complexes (1–5) were synthesized using a straightforward method. Purple plate crystals of 1 were isolated and the crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction with respect to the coordination mode of the nitrate anion to the central Nd(III) ion. (1: monoclinic system P21/c, a = 15.9460(3) A, b = 10.2457(6) A, c = 33.323(3) A, β = 91.8108(17)°, V = 3109.11(11) A3, Z = 4). The central Nd(III) ion is surrounded by six bidentate nitrate ligands, with a major trend towards high symmetry of the [Nd(NO3)6]3− anion as an icosahedron. Thermal properties were determined from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) combined with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) tests. Complexes 3–5 are found to be room temperature liquids, and their excitation and emission spectra were recorded. These complexes exhibit intense near-infrared (NIR) luminescence emission, which originates from interconfigurational f–f transitions 4F3/2→4IJ multiplet (J = 9/2–13/2). These liquid Nd(III) complexes are of interest as potential NIR luminescent soft materials with high thermal stability.