Dialogue Geo Information Services Project abstract

1 REMOTE SENSING FOR SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF THE CROP CANOPY CHARACTERISTICS TO PROVIDE EARLY WARNING CROP STRESSES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

RESMAR LOGO

2 Organisation – Contact Person

- TeRN Consortium - Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis of National Research Council C.da S. Loja - Zona Industriale, I-85050 Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy

Dr. Stefano Pignatti pignatti@imaa.cnr.it

3 Project - abstract

The project is devoted to define an operative robust procedure to determine, by using remote sensing data and in situ bio-geophysical observations, the vegetation biophysical parameters diagnostic for vegetation stress in agricultural environments. The final aim of the project is to provide information for a better and precise management of the agricultural resources. The project aims to support the development of parameters providing early warning crop stresses, both annual and permanent crops, being also helpful in the crop productivity assessment. Remote sensing imagery (hyperspectral) is a natural aid for diagnosing crop problems in conjunction with crop scouting.

Pigment composition and concentration, leaf area index and canopy structure, and changes in vegetation water content indicative of water stress (drought status) in crop canopy are in principle detectable through reflectance signature changes. For example, changes in vegetation reflectance data (visible and in the near-infrared spectral range recorded by a hyperspectral scanner) have been successfully used for estimating a range of vegetation biophysical/chemical characteristics when the plants are under stress, which is often caused by disease, lack of (or too much) moisture, soil compaction, inadequate nutrients, or a multitude of other reasons. Specific biochemical changes can provide early diagnostic information for a number of stresses like changes in chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations that are good indicators of general vigour and nutrient (especially N) status and in water stress. Remote sensing (hyperspectral) used for determining these vegetation parameters and to derive diagnostic spectral indexes on a time series bases, has shown the potential to significantly improve the understanding of primary production, nutrient cycling and physiological stress in the agricultural environments from local to regional scales. Hyperspectral imagery can also be merged with geo-referenced data collected throughout the season by the crop scout for further analysis and correlation, such as the locations and types of weed, disease, and insect infestations, nutrient and pesticide applications, seed populations, irrigation water management, weather data, etc.

The project activity can also support the user(s)’s need to make an estimation of water availability in dry seasons, especially where drought is particularly strong and, therefore, to take in advance the appropriate counter­measures in order to minimize the possible damages to the cultivations.

The project flow strategy is devoted to apply active and passive remotely sensed data combined with in situ observations and the use of radiative transfer (RT) models to retrieve biophysical parameters for developing a

system apt to early detect crop stresses.

RS & in situ data

Empirical models

Inverted RT Models

Spectral indexes

RS crop/canopy variables

Univariate empirical models

Radiometric variables

Biophysical variables Stress diagnosis

Furthermore, the project can support the user(s)’s need to identify the areas suitable to host energetic cultures and transformation plants dedicated to the production of bio-fuels, preferably in no conflict areas with food production.

4 Reference Seventh Framework Programme - European Dimension

At the European level ongoing programme, like the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), ESA activities and GMES are frameworks where the objectives of this project can find a proper synergy. In particular, the “Theme 9 – Space” of the FP7 refers to projects devoted to stimulate the development of downstream GMES services from the research and user community, while in “Theme 6 – Environment” research topics are the conservation and sustainable management of the environment of natural/human resources and the environmental observations for minimising the impacts associated to human activities. Within this framework, the activities proposed in this project are completely in tune within the European Dimension described by the FP7 and are also relevant for the GMES policy focused on a better monitoring of the environment and security management.

Moreover, the Project deals with other European strategies like: Common Agricultural Policy, the 6th

Environmental Action Programme, the Soil Thematic Strategy and the Water Framework Directive.

The research aims to advance the knowledge of methods for environmental monitoring of terrestrial ecosystems through Earth Observation (optical, radar and LIDAR data). The topics stated in the proposed project stress the worldwide effort on the extraction of crop/canopy information by Remote Sensing. The vegetation stress diagnosis is on the forefront internationally.

5 Implementation Plan

To reach the goals of the R&D project the implementation plan should be: • Analysis of the useful optical and active remote data in terms of payload requirements (hyperspectral),

latency for tasking the satellite, data latency etc. • Analysis and definition of models to be applied to remote sensing data by expert in the field of data

processing and RT analysis of vegetation • In situ bio-geophysical data specification and definition of measurements protocols • Definition of the cal/val plan • Definition of the user community and of the related requirements • Demonstration of the project efficiency within selected areas of the user community

6 Estimated Budget and Partners

Budget: about 2 - 2.5Meuro on three years activities

Partners: TBD

A possible partnership should be as follows: - Italy - Greece - Spain - France - Netherlands - Austria - United Kingdom - ………