Exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high-density olive orchards
Understanding the plant water-uptake dynamics and behavior in olive orchards is an area of much interest, particularly for efforts to optimize the use and application of water resources. However, plant water-uptake information is rarely available or consistently monitored for large agricultural area...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843222000802 |
| _version_ | 1817999310477852672 |
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| author | Marcel M. El Hajj Samer K. Almashharawi Kasper Johansen Jamal Elfarkh Matthew F. McCabe |
| author_facet | Marcel M. El Hajj Samer K. Almashharawi Kasper Johansen Jamal Elfarkh Matthew F. McCabe |
| author_sort | Marcel M. El Hajj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding the plant water-uptake dynamics and behavior in olive orchards is an area of much interest, particularly for efforts to optimize the use and application of water resources. However, plant water-uptake information is rarely available or consistently monitored for large agricultural areas, especially in developing countries. Here we evaluate the potential of using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to monitor the water-uptake rate in super high-density olive orchards located in the hot and arid desert climate of Saudi Arabia. The experiment was performed using Sentinel-1 data acquired between 2019 and 2020 in concert with in situ sap flow measurements. To date, no study has explored the potential of Sentinel-1 SAR data to assess the water-uptake rate in olive orchards. The results demonstrate that the SAR backscatter increased between January and July/August, and then decreased during the remainder of the year, following a broadly Gaussian distribution. Of key interest is the strength of the relationship between the increasing and decreasing trends of SAR backscatter and the variation in the coincident water-uptake rate measured in situ, producing a coefficient of determination of 0.81 in the VV polarization. As the relationship between the SAR backscatter and water-uptake rate was established for plots with similar tree type and planting density, further exploration of orchards with different characteristics and planting densities is needed to fully understand the potential of SAR data to estimate plant water-uptake. Overall, the study demonstrates that SAR data can track variation in locally measured water-uptake and illustrates the potential to assist with enhancing irrigation management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:07:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5e62c91060ab40c0a05dc060843a80dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1569-8432 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:07:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation |
| spelling | doaj.art-5e62c91060ab40c0a05dc060843a80dc2022-12-22T02:15:42ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation1569-84322022-08-01112102878Exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high-density olive orchardsMarcel M. El Hajj0Samer K. Almashharawi1Kasper Johansen2Jamal Elfarkh3Matthew F. McCabe4Corresponding author.; Hydrology, Agriculture and Land Observation (HALO) Laboratory, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaHydrology, Agriculture and Land Observation (HALO) Laboratory, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaHydrology, Agriculture and Land Observation (HALO) Laboratory, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaHydrology, Agriculture and Land Observation (HALO) Laboratory, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaHydrology, Agriculture and Land Observation (HALO) Laboratory, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaUnderstanding the plant water-uptake dynamics and behavior in olive orchards is an area of much interest, particularly for efforts to optimize the use and application of water resources. However, plant water-uptake information is rarely available or consistently monitored for large agricultural areas, especially in developing countries. Here we evaluate the potential of using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to monitor the water-uptake rate in super high-density olive orchards located in the hot and arid desert climate of Saudi Arabia. The experiment was performed using Sentinel-1 data acquired between 2019 and 2020 in concert with in situ sap flow measurements. To date, no study has explored the potential of Sentinel-1 SAR data to assess the water-uptake rate in olive orchards. The results demonstrate that the SAR backscatter increased between January and July/August, and then decreased during the remainder of the year, following a broadly Gaussian distribution. Of key interest is the strength of the relationship between the increasing and decreasing trends of SAR backscatter and the variation in the coincident water-uptake rate measured in situ, producing a coefficient of determination of 0.81 in the VV polarization. As the relationship between the SAR backscatter and water-uptake rate was established for plots with similar tree type and planting density, further exploration of orchards with different characteristics and planting densities is needed to fully understand the potential of SAR data to estimate plant water-uptake. Overall, the study demonstrates that SAR data can track variation in locally measured water-uptake and illustrates the potential to assist with enhancing irrigation management.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843222000802SARC-bandWater-uptake rateOlive orchardsIrrigation management |
| spellingShingle | Marcel M. El Hajj Samer K. Almashharawi Kasper Johansen Jamal Elfarkh Matthew F. McCabe Exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high-density olive orchards International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation SAR C-band Water-uptake rate Olive orchards Irrigation management |
| title | Exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high-density olive orchards |
| title_full | Exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high-density olive orchards |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high-density olive orchards |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high-density olive orchards |
| title_short | Exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high-density olive orchards |
| title_sort | exploring the use of synthetic aperture radar data for irrigation management in super high density olive orchards |
| topic | SAR C-band Water-uptake rate Olive orchards Irrigation management |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569843222000802 |
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