Rice phenology mapping using novel target characterization parameters from polarimetric SAR data

ABSTRACT

We require spatio-temporal information about rice for executing and planning diverse management practices. In this regard, data obtained from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors are well suited for tracking morphological developments of rice across its phenology stages. This study proposes different target characterization parameters from polarimetric SAR data for rice phenology mapping. Six C-band Radarsat-2 images acquired over Vijayawada, India, are used for complete analysis. It is known that polarimetric information provides excellent sensitivity for identifying crop phenology stages. Hence, in this study, we assessed phenology classification results using a scattering-type parameter and scattering powers for full-polarimetric (FP) and extracted dual-polarimetric (DP) SAR data. Here, we utilized the real 4$\times$4 Kennaugh matrix elements to derive these parameters equivalently for the two polarimetric modes (i.e. FP and DP). We obtained better overall classification accuracy for each phenology stages using the proposed parameters than the existing ones from FP and DP SAR data. We noted that the overall classification accuracy using the DP SAR data was only marginally lower than the FP SAR data. This marginal difference in the accuracies could be due to the absence of the cross-polarized component in the DP SAR data. We also demonstrate the usefulness of the scattering powers from DP SAR data for rice phenology monitoring.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the State Agency of Research (AEI), and the European Funds for Regional Development (EFRD) under Project TEC2017-85244-C2-1-P. The authors would like to thank the Canadian Space Agency and MAXAR Technologies Ltd. (formerly MDA) for providing Radarsat-2 images through the Joint Experiment for Crop Assessment and Monitoring (JECAM) SAR Inter-comparison Experiment network. The authors are also thankful to Andhra Pradesh Space Application Centre (APSAC), ITE & C Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh for their support during field campaigns.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).