The Study of Applicability to Fixed-field Sensor for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) Monitoring in Cultivation Area

Abstract

The NDVI (Normalized difference vegetation index) is used as indicators of crop growth situation in remote sensing. To measure or validate the NDVI, reliable NDVI sensors have been needed. We tested new fixed-field NDVI sensor, “SRS (Spectral Reflectance Sensor)” developed by Decagon Devices, during Kimchi cabbage growing season at the cultivation area located in Gochang, Gangneung and Taebaek in Korea from 2014 to 2015. The diurnal variation of NDVI measured by SRS (SRS NDVI) showed a slight ∩-profile shape and was affected by water on the sensor surface. This means that SRS NDVI around noontime is resonable, except rainy day. Comparisons were made between the SRS NDVI and NDVI of used widely mobile sensor (Cropcircle NDVI). The comparisons indicate that SRS NDVI are close to Cropcircle NDVI (R=0.99). SRS NDVI time series displayed change of the plant height and leaf width of Kimchi cabbage. An obvious exponential relationship is found between SRS NDVI and the plant height (R 2 ≥0.92) and leaf width(R 2 ≥0.92) of Kimchi cabbage. Thus, SRS NDVI will be used as indicator of crop growth situation and a very powerful tool for evaluation of remote sensing NDVI estimates and associated corrections.