The fusion of THAICHOTE, X and C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery for estimating grain yield

The monitoring of crop production is an important component of the assessment of the economic impact on agriculture in global markets. This paper investigates the suitability of COSMOS-kyMed X-band and Radarsat-2 C-band data fused with THAICHOTE optical imagery to estimate above-ground biomass of rice over the whole growing period, and eventually yield, in irrigated areas of Central Thailand. Ground-based plots were measured in parallel with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) derived variables such as plant density, height, water level, Leaf Area Index (LAI) and biomass. Biophysical characteristics of rice and COSMO-SkyMed as well as Radarsat-2 backscattering coefficients are analyzed. The resultant fusion technique is compared to national agricultural statistical data. Results show that X-band HH backscatters and Optical Vegetation Indices are a promising method to estimate rice yield.