L-band SAR Monitoring of Rice Crop Growth

Rice crop has relatively short growing season during the summer in Korea and, therefore, it is often difficult to acquire cloud-free imagery on time. This study was attempt to define the temporal characteristics of radar backscattering observed from satellite L-band SAR data on different growing stages of rice crop. Six scenes of multi-temporal JERS SAR data were obtained from the transplanting season to the harvesting month of October. Six layers of multi-temporal SAR data were registered on a common geographic coordinate system. Using topographic maps, field collected data, and Landsat TM data, several sample rice fields were delineated from the imagery and their relative radar backscatters were calculated by using a set of reference targets. The temporal pattern of radar backscattering was very distinctive by the growing stage of rice crop. It was also separable between two types of rice fields having different cultivation practices. Considering the temporal characteristics of radar backscattering observed from the study, it is obvious that a certain date of the growing season can be more effective to delineate the exact area of the cultivated rice crop field.