Assessment of RapidEye vegetation indices for estimation of leaf area index and biomass in corn and soybean crops

Leaf area index (LAI) and biomass are important indicators of crop development and the availability of this information during the growing season can support farmer decision making processes. This study demonstrates the applicability of RapidEye multi-spectral data for estimation of LAI and biomass of two crop types (corn and soybean) with different canopy structure, leaf structure and photosynthetic pathways. The advantages of Rapid Eye in terms of increased temporal resolution (∼daily), high spatial resolution (∼5 m) and enhanced spectral information (includes red-edge band) are explored as an individual sensor and as part of a multi-sensor constellation. Seven vegetation indices based on combinations of reflectance in green, red, red-edge and near infrared bands were derived from RapidEye imagery between 2011 and 2013. LAI and biomass data were collected during the same period for calibration and validation of the relationships between vegetation indices and LAI and dry above-ground biomass. Most indices showed sensitivity to LAI from emergence to 8 m²/m². The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the red-edge NDVI and the green NDVI were insensitive to crop type and had coefficients of variations (CV) ranging between 19 and 27%; and coefficients of determination ranging between 86 and 88%. The NDVI performed best for the estimation of dry leaf biomass (CV = 27% and r² = 090) and was also insensitive to crop type. The red-edge indices did not show any significant improvement in LAI and biomass estimation over traditional multispectral indices. Cumulative vegetation indices showed strong performance for estimation of total dry above-ground biomass, especially for corn (CV ≤ 20%). This study demonstrated that continuous crop LAI monitoring over time and space at the field level can be achieved using a combination of RapidEye, Landsat and SPOT data and sensor-dependant best-fit functions. This approach eliminates/reduces the need for reflectance resampling, VIs inter-calibration and spatial resampling.     

大米草室内叶片光谱特征参数与叶绿素浓度关系研究

本文通过分析大米草叶片反射光谱特征,并提取红边位置、红边斜率和红边面积三个红边参数以及叶面叶绿素指数(LCI)、水分指数(WI)、三角植被指数(TVI)、结构相关色素指数(SIPI)四个高光谱植被指数,利用线性、对数、倒数、二次函数和三次函数曲线模拟算法得到大米草叶片叶绿素a浓度的高光谱估算模型。研究结果表明:叶绿素a浓度与红边斜率和红边面积在0.01水平上显著负相关,与LCI、WI和TVI在0.01水平上显著正相关。基于红边斜率、红边面积、TVI三个参数,选用倒数法构建叶绿素a浓度的估算模型精度明显高于其他算法。基于LCI和WI参数,应用三次函数法构建的叶绿素a浓度的高光谱检测模型精度明显高于其他算法。比较R2和模型估算误差,利用WI水分指数应用三次函数构建叶绿素a浓度的高光谱检测模型精度在所有模型中最高。因此,利用叶片光谱技术可以较高精度地估算叶绿素a浓度。     

SENTINEL-2A red-edge spectral indices suitability for discriminating burn severity

Fires are a problematic and recurrent issue in Mediterranean ecosystems. Accurate discrimination between burn severity levels is essential for the rehabilitation planning of burned areas. Sentinel-2A MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) record data in three red-edge wavelengths, spectral domain especially useful on agriculture and vegetation applications. Our objective is to find out whether Sentinel-2A MSI red-edge wavelengths are suitable for burn severity discrimination. As study area, we used the 2015 Sierra Gata wildfire (Spain) that burned approximately 80 km². A Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS)-grading map with four burn severity levels was considered as reference truth. Cox and Snell, Nagelkerke and McFadde pseudo-R² statistics obtained by Multinomial Logistic Regression showed the superiority of red-edge spectral indices (particularly, Modified Simple Ratio Red-edge, Chlorophyll Index Red-edge, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Red-edge) over conventional spectral indices. Fisher's Least Significant Difference test confirmed that Sentinel-2A MSI red-edge spectral indices are adequate to discriminate four burn severity levels.     

Exploring hyperspectral bands and estimation indices for leaf nitrogen accumulation in wheat

Hyperspectral sensing can provide an effective means for fast and non-destructive estimation of leaf nitrogen (N) status in crop plants. The objectives of this study were to design a new method to extract hyperspectral spectrum information, to explore sensitive spectral bands, suitable bandwidth and best vegetation indices based on precise analysis of ground-based hyperspectral information, and to develop regression models for estimating leaf N accumulation per unit soil area (LNA, g N m⁻²) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Three field experiments were conducted with different N rates and cultivar types in three consecutive growing seasons, and time-course measurements were taken on canopy hyperspectral reflectance and LNA under the various treatments. Then, normalized difference spectral indices (NDSI) and ratio spectral indices (RSI) based on the original spectrum and the first derivative spectrum were constructed within the range of 350–2500 nm, and their relationships with LNA were quantified. The results showed that both LNA and canopy hyperspectral reflectance in wheat changed with varied N rates, with consistent patterns across different cultivars and seasons. The sensitive spectral bands for LNA existed mainly within visible and near infrared regions. The best spectral indices for estimating LNA in wheat were found to be NDSI (R₈₆₀, R₇₂₀), RSI (R₉₉₀, R₇₂₀), NDSI (FD₇₃₆, FD₅₂₆) and RSI (FD₇₂₅, FD₅₁₆), and the regression models based on the above four spectral indices were formulated as Y = 26.34x^1.887, Y = 5.095x − 6.040, Y = 0.609 e^3.008x and Y = 0.388x^1.260, respectively, with R² greater than 0.81. Furthermore, expanding the bandwidth of NDSI (R₈₆₀, R₇₂₀) and RSI (R₉₉₀, R₇₂₀) from 1 nm to 100 nm at 1 nm interval produced the LNA monitoring models with similar performance within about 33 nm and 23 nm bandwidth, respectively, over which the statistical parameters of the models became less stable. From testing of the derived equations, the model for LNA estimation on NDSI (R₈₆₀, R₇₂₀), RSI (R₉₉₀, R₇₂₀), NDSI (FD₇₃₆, FD₅₂₆) and RSI (FD₇₂₅, FD₅₁₆) gave R² over 0.79 with more satisfactory performance than previously reported models and physical models in wheat. It can be concluded that the present hyperspectral parameters of NDSI (R₈₆₀, R₇₂₀), RSI (R₉₉₀, R₇₂₀), NDSI (FD₇₃₆, FD₅₂₆) and RSI (FD₇₂₅, FD₅₁₆) can be reliably used for estimating LNA in winter wheat.     

Non-destructive estimation of potato leaf chlorophyll from canopy hyperspectral reflectance using the inverted PROSAIL model

Optimizing nitrogen (N) fertilization in crop production by in-season measurements of crop N status may improve fertilizer N use efficiency. Hyperspectral measurements may be used to assess crop N status by estimating leaf chlorophyll content. This study evaluated the ability of the PROSAIL canopy-level reflectance model to predict leaf chlorophyll content. Trials were conducted with two potato cultivars under different N fertility rates (0–300 kg N ha⁻¹). Canopy reflectance, leaf area index (LAI) and leaf chlorophyll and N contents were measured. The PROSAIL model was able to predict leaf chlorophyll content with reasonable accuracy later in the growing season. The low estimation accuracy earlier in the growing season could be due to model sensitivity to non-homogenous canopy architecture and soil background interference before full canopy closure. Canopy chlorophyll content (leaf chlorophyll content × LAI) was predicted less accurately than leaf chlrophyll content due to the low estimation accuracy of LAI for values higher than 4.5.     

估算混合植被叶绿素含量的理想波段分析

应用Lopex数据库评价了19个波谱指数对物种的敏感性, 分析了叶绿素含量与波谱反射率以及波谱导数的相关性, 目的在于探寻对叶绿素含量变化的敏感性, 对物种和叶片结构变化不敏感的理想波段, 应用大尺度遥感数据估算混合植被冠层叶绿素含量。分析结果表明：红边指数对混合植被的叶绿素含量具有较好的指示作用;估算冠层叶绿素含量的理想波段为698—710nm附近较窄的波段范围;对于波谱导数, 估算混合植被叶绿素含量的理想波段范围为720—735nm和535—550nm附近波谱导数。     

Remote estimation of crop and grass chlorophyll and nitrogen content using red-edge bands on Sentinel-2 and -3

Sentinel-2 is planned for launch in 2014 by the European Space Agency and it is equipped with the Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI), which will provide images with high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution. It covers the VNIR/SWIR spectral region in 13 bands and incorporates two new spectral bands in the red-edge region, which can be used to derive vegetation indices using red-edge bands in their formulation. These are particularly suitable for estimating canopy chlorophyll and nitrogen (N) content. This band setting is important for vegetation studies and is very similar to the ones of the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) on the planned Sentinel-3 satellite and the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) on Envisat, which operated from 2002 to early 2012. This paper focuses on the potential of Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 in estimating total crop and grass chlorophyll and N content by studying in situ crop variables and spectroradiometer measurements obtained for four different test sites. In particular, the red-edge chlorophyll index (CI_red-edge), the green chlorophyll index (CI_green) and the MERIS terrestrial chlorophyll index (MTCI) were found to be accurate and linear estimators of canopy chlorophyll and N content and the Sentinel-2 and -3 bands are well positioned for deriving these indices. Results confirm the importance of the red-edge bands on particularly Sentinel-2 for agricultural applications, because of the combination with its high spatial resolution of 20 m.     

Sentinel-2 red-edge spectral indices (RESI) suitability for mapping rubber boom in Luang Namtha Province,northern Lao PDR

Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) tree cultivation is being continuously expanded northward by replacing evergreen forests and swidden-related regenerated vegetation across the uplands of mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA), e.g., Laos, a landlocked mountainous country. The non-native tree establishment in the northern tropical edge, or the non-traditional suitable planting area, provides stable supplies of natural latex, yet also leads to severe ecological degradation and environmental effects in water conservation, soil quality, rainforest fragmentation and biodiversity. Rubber plantations in the northern part of MSEA are normally characterized by periodic deciduous during the dry season, along with a lengthy defoliation-foliation duration, because of seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation. It thus lays a phenological and physiological base for dynamics monitoring with common multispectral (e.g., near-infrared and short-wave infrared bands) satellites, particularly Landsat. However, whether Sentinel-2 red-edge based algorithms are suitable for discriminating rubber plantations is not yet exclusively reported. Here, we developed a red-edge spectral indices (RESI) method through the normalization of three red-edge bands and applied it to identify and map rubber plantations in Luang Namtha Province of northern Laos, where a rubber boom begun in the mid-2000s. The RESI algorithm highlights the sensitivity of red-edge bands to the changes in moisture content and canopy density of rubber plantations. The area of mature rubber plantations was estimated to be 771.2 km² in this province bordering southwest China in 2018, which was nearly twice as much as that of 2011, with the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient up to 92.50% and 0.91, respectively. Our phenology-based RESI approach not only indicates that Sentinel-2 imagery holds significant potential for monitoring rubber plantations, but also improves the remotely-sensed methods of rubber boom mapping via introducing the red-edge channel.     

Analysis of common canopy vegetation indices for indicating leaf nitrogen accumulations in wheat and rice

The common spectra wavebands and vegetation indices (VI) were identified for indicating leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA), and the quantitative relationships of LNA to canopy reflectance spectra were determined in both wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.). The 810 and 870 nm are two common spectral wavebands indicating LNA in both wheat and rice. Among all ratio vegetation indices (RVI), difference vegetation indices (DVI) and normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI) of 16 wavebands from the MSR16 radiometer, RVI (870, 660) and RVI (810, 660) were most highly correlated to LNA in both wheat and rice. In addition, the relations between VIs and LNA gave better results than relations between single wavebands and LNA in both wheat and rice. Thus LNA in both wheat and rice could be indicated with common VIs, but separate regression equations are better for LNA monitoring.     

An investigation into the correlations among GNSS observations and their impact on height and zenith wet delay estimation for medium and long baselines

Most stochastic modelling techniques neglect the correlations among the raw un-differenced observations when forming the variance–covariance matrix of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations. Some methods were developed to model these correlations. One such method is the Minimum Norm Quadratic Unbiased Estimator (MINQUE). Studies have shown that MINQUE improves ambiguity resolution, and ultimately, the positioning solution in short baselines. However, its effect in cases of processing with longer baselines and on the estimation of zenith wet delay (ZWD) is somewhat unknown. In this paper, a comparison between the impact of neglecting the correlations among the observations using an elevation-angle-dependent model (EADM) and modelling the correlations using MINQUE on height determination and ZWD for medium and long baselines is carried out. The initial testing was carried out across two Australian GNSS stations with a medium-length baseline throughout a three-week campaign. The results showed that using MINQUE did not resolve the coordinate, height and wet delay components as accurately as the EADM. The results were further verified with two long-baseline campaigns whereby EADM was also able to provide better wet delay estimates. The coordinate results were, however, mixed. Overall, the study concluded that the inclusion of the correlations among the observations, in general, do not improve the resolution of the coordinate and wet delay estimates.