Remote sensing and estimation of wheat yields in Europe

Abstract

Within the framework of its agricultural policy, the European Commission must be able to make precise, reliable and independent predictions of regional crop yield prior to harvest. Improvements in yield prediction could be obtained by combining qualitative information provided by satellite-based sensors to the quantitative information given by crop growth models. A study was conducted over a five year period (1990-1994) using wheat, Triticum aestivum, in six regions of the European Union. Agrometeorological and meteorological data were extracted from the WOFOST, which is currently used within the European Union to predict crop biomass. A new procedure was developed (the 3M procedure) based on the Monteith formalism which defines the production of dry matter based on global radiation and variables obtained from satellites: a vegetation index (NDVI) and a stress index (CWSI). It was shown that the 3M procedure was more successful than the WOFOST procedure for predicting biomass and crop yield at a regional level.