Sugarcane Mapping in Tillering Period by Quad-Polarization TerraSAR-X Data

Abstract

This letter presents preliminary results of sugarcane mapping in its tillering period using quad-polarization data. Three TerraSAR-X images were collected in early, middle, and late tillering periods in the Leizhou Peninsula, South China. Polarization features based on Cloude-Pottier decomposition, such as scattering angle and polarization entropy, were used to analyze sugarcane scattering mechanism temporal behavior and the differences between sugarcane and other typical land-cover types. Results show good separability of sugarcane from other land-cover types. At last, based on common features of sugarcane in tillering period, a sugarcane mapping method was proposed with certain high accuracy and good stability. The results suggest that the tillering period, from early April to late May, is a suitable growth period for sugarcane mapping, and polarization features appear promising for crop mapping and monitoring.