Assessing Spatial Limits of Sentinel-2 Data on Arable Crops in the Context of Checks by Monitoring
The availability of large amounts of Sentinel-2 data has been a trigger for its increasing exploitation in various types of applications. It is, therefore, of importance to understand the limits above which these data still guarantee a meaningful outcome. This paper proposes a new method to quantify...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-07-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/14/2195 |
| _version_ | 1797562921250717696 |
|---|---|
| author | Blanka Vajsová Dominique Fasbender Csaba Wirnhardt Slavko Lemajic Wim Devos |
| author_facet | Blanka Vajsová Dominique Fasbender Csaba Wirnhardt Slavko Lemajic Wim Devos |
| author_sort | Blanka Vajsová |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The availability of large amounts of Sentinel-2 data has been a trigger for its increasing exploitation in various types of applications. It is, therefore, of importance to understand the limits above which these data still guarantee a meaningful outcome. This paper proposes a new method to quantify and specify restrictions of the Sentinel-2 imagery in the context of checks by monitoring, a newly introduced control approach within the European Common Agriculture Policy framework. The method consists of a comparison of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series constructed from data of different spatial resolution to estimate the performance and limits of the coarser one. Using similarity assessment of Sentinel-2 (10 m pixel size) and PlanetScope (3 m pixel size) NDVI time series, it was estimated that for 10% out of 867 fields less than 0.5 ha in size, Sentinel-2 data did not provide reliable evidence of the activity or state of the agriculture field over a given timeframe. Statistical analysis revealed that the number of clean or full pixels and the proportion of pixels lost after an application of a 5-m (1/2 pixel) negative buffer are the geospatial parameters of the field that have the highest influence on the ability of the Sentinel-2 data to qualify the field’s state in time. We specified the following limiting criteria: at least 8 full pixels inside a border and less than 60% of pixels lost. It was concluded that compliance with the criteria still assures a high level of extracted information reliability. Our research proved the promising potential, which was higher than anticipated, of Sentinel-2 data for the continuous state assessment of small fields. The method could be applied to other sensors and indicators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:35:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d9b516d003f4c69bd3b9cf30876d40b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:35:28Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d9b516d003f4c69bd3b9cf30876d40b2023-11-20T06:17:44ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922020-07-011214219510.3390/rs12142195Assessing Spatial Limits of Sentinel-2 Data on Arable Crops in the Context of Checks by MonitoringBlanka Vajsová0Dominique Fasbender1Csaba Wirnhardt2Slavko Lemajic3Wim Devos4Piksel Srl, Via Breda 176, 20126 Milan, ItalyInstitut wallon de l’évaluation, de la prospective et de la statistique, Route de Louvain-la-Neuve, 2, 5001 Belgrade, BelgiumEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Via E. Fermi 2749, I-21027 Ispra, VA, ItalyArhs Developments, 2b, rue Nicolas Bové, L-1253 Luxembourg, LuxembourgEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Via E. Fermi 2749, I-21027 Ispra, VA, ItalyThe availability of large amounts of Sentinel-2 data has been a trigger for its increasing exploitation in various types of applications. It is, therefore, of importance to understand the limits above which these data still guarantee a meaningful outcome. This paper proposes a new method to quantify and specify restrictions of the Sentinel-2 imagery in the context of checks by monitoring, a newly introduced control approach within the European Common Agriculture Policy framework. The method consists of a comparison of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series constructed from data of different spatial resolution to estimate the performance and limits of the coarser one. Using similarity assessment of Sentinel-2 (10 m pixel size) and PlanetScope (3 m pixel size) NDVI time series, it was estimated that for 10% out of 867 fields less than 0.5 ha in size, Sentinel-2 data did not provide reliable evidence of the activity or state of the agriculture field over a given timeframe. Statistical analysis revealed that the number of clean or full pixels and the proportion of pixels lost after an application of a 5-m (1/2 pixel) negative buffer are the geospatial parameters of the field that have the highest influence on the ability of the Sentinel-2 data to qualify the field’s state in time. We specified the following limiting criteria: at least 8 full pixels inside a border and less than 60% of pixels lost. It was concluded that compliance with the criteria still assures a high level of extracted information reliability. Our research proved the promising potential, which was higher than anticipated, of Sentinel-2 data for the continuous state assessment of small fields. The method could be applied to other sensors and indicators.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/14/2195NDVI time seriessmall agriculture parcelsfieldsCAPsimilarityspatial limits |
| spellingShingle | Blanka Vajsová Dominique Fasbender Csaba Wirnhardt Slavko Lemajic Wim Devos Assessing Spatial Limits of Sentinel-2 Data on Arable Crops in the Context of Checks by Monitoring Remote Sensing NDVI time series small agriculture parcels fields CAP similarity spatial limits |
| title | Assessing Spatial Limits of Sentinel-2 Data on Arable Crops in the Context of Checks by Monitoring |
| title_full | Assessing Spatial Limits of Sentinel-2 Data on Arable Crops in the Context of Checks by Monitoring |
| title_fullStr | Assessing Spatial Limits of Sentinel-2 Data on Arable Crops in the Context of Checks by Monitoring |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing Spatial Limits of Sentinel-2 Data on Arable Crops in the Context of Checks by Monitoring |
| title_short | Assessing Spatial Limits of Sentinel-2 Data on Arable Crops in the Context of Checks by Monitoring |
| title_sort | assessing spatial limits of sentinel 2 data on arable crops in the context of checks by monitoring |
| topic | NDVI time series small agriculture parcels fields CAP similarity spatial limits |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/14/2195 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT blankavajsova assessingspatiallimitsofsentinel2dataonarablecropsinthecontextofchecksbymonitoring AT dominiquefasbender assessingspatiallimitsofsentinel2dataonarablecropsinthecontextofchecksbymonitoring AT csabawirnhardt assessingspatiallimitsofsentinel2dataonarablecropsinthecontextofchecksbymonitoring AT slavkolemajic assessingspatiallimitsofsentinel2dataonarablecropsinthecontextofchecksbymonitoring AT wimdevos assessingspatiallimitsofsentinel2dataonarablecropsinthecontextofchecksbymonitoring |