Monitoring maize (Zea Mays L.) phenology response to water deficit using Sentinel-2 multispectral data

Productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) is strongly regulated by the availability of water. There are critical stages of crop development, in which water deficit could have a detrimental effect on crop functioning and yield. Facing the challenges related to climate changes and rapidly depleting water resources, it is of utmost importance for agriculture, biologically optimal water status of different crops, at different stages of ontogeny to be determined. In order to achieve this aim, it is necessary a continuous monitoring of crops and assessment of their functioning during each of the growth stages and in different environmental conditions to be conducted. Remote sensing (RS) methods enable valuable information about crop functioning to be obtained. In the present study remotely sensed spectral vegetation indices and orthogonalization of multispectral satellite data are used, in order changes related to phenological dynamics and biomass accumulation to be studied. The suggested methodology facilitates identification of the timing of phenological transitions that are related to maize physiological development. The research evaluates the dynamics of maize phenological development in the environmental conditions of growing season 2019, using multispectral imagery, acquired by Sentinel-2 sensor of the European Space Agency Program for Earth Observation “Copernicus” and daily measured field climatic data.