The sensitivity of C-band polarimetric SAR to crop condition

The Canada Centre for Remote Sensing conducted an intensive field campaign in 2000 at an agricultural test site at Indian Head, Saskatchewan (Canada). Airborne C-band fully polarimetric SAR data were acquired over the site. The supporting ground information is being used to establish the sensitivity of several polarimetric parameters to variations in crop condition. Preliminary results suggest that several polarizations are sensitive to variations in crop growth and crop stress, particularly in small grain crops like wheat. Information on crop growth gathered from sensors, like RADARSAT-2, could aid in strategies to better manage nutrient applications on agricultural fields.