Use of satellite data in agricultural surveys

A major application of satellite remote sensing is the estimation of the acreage of agricultural crops. The potential for crop yield estimation using satellite remote sensing exists, but research in this area is still in its early stages. In this paper we survey the methodology for using remotely sensed data in agricultural surveys, based primarily on research conducted during the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE) and the follow-on program Agricultural Research and Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing (AgRISTARS). The data obtained from multispectral scanner (MSS) and thematic mapper (TM) sensors onboard the Landsat series of satellites are described. Approaches for preprocessing, transferring, and modeling these data for understanding the relationship between their temporal behavior and crop growth cycles are discussed. Finally, techniques for crop identification and area and yield estimation are briefly described