Monitoring rice cropping systems using China environment satellite data in Poyang Lake region

Abstract

Threshold method was utilized to discriminate rice cropping systems based on the noticeable variation of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) during key growth stages in Poyang Lake Region, China. This area is dominated by double-and single rice cropping systems which tend to change due to the frequent ecosystem management policies. We used a new satellite data from the CCD camera sensor with 30 m spatial resolution onboard the China Environmental Satellite HJ-1A and B. The HJ -1A/B with a better temporal resolution of four days provides more data options for effective and timely agriculture monitoring. The result showed that there is evident difference of NDVI between single and late rice during mid October when they are in different growth stages. The areas of single and late rice in 2011 were 2988.6 km2 and 3105.9 km2, respectively. Paddy field distribution map and local paddy rice calendar are requisite to move the threshold method into other multiple rice cropping regions. The study suggests that the China Environmental Satellite HJ-1A/B have the potential to rice cropping system in the double to triple rice cropping systems area. With many advantages of HJ-1A/B, like, finer spatial and temporal resolution, bigger imaging swath, it may make rice cropping system monitoring more feasible and operational.