Remote sensing observations capture winter crop rotation in Argentina
Abstract
The sustainable use of agroecosystems involves conservation management practices such as direct sowing and rotation with grain crops that provide large volumes of stubble. In Argentina, the most important grain crops are wheat and corn. Between 2008 and 2015, together with other variables, the implementation of regulatory measures (such as export restrictions and export taxes) affected the rotation of both crops with legumes such as soybeans. However, following the implementation of another new regulatory system in December 2015, the planted area of both crops increased greatly, as did the participation in agricultural rotation which consequently improved the sustainability of agroecosystems. Also in 2015, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange as a partner of EOFSAC, began a research program with University of Maryland, related to vegetable coverage through the analysis of satellite images with the aim of improving the accuracy of national-scale area estimates of the main extensive crops in the country. In support of this goal, during the past two cropping seasons a methodology for identifying large-scale winter cropped area was developed using open-source software and basic image processing based on crop phenology, observed through multi-temporal moderate resolution satellite observations (i.e. Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2). This methodology is easily replicated in other countries with limited ground truth data. These studies provide a first approach by objectively measure the area for winter cereals on an annual basis. Using the methodology developed, it is possible to analyze the rotation evolution over time associated with climatic, political and / or market variables, as well as to understand its geographic distribution in the country, providing an objective measurement of rotation of crops for a sustainable use of the agroecosystems. We provide analysis of these results, focusing on the crop rotation patterns visible from the satellite imagery and provide the context for the observed patterns.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFMGC43I1633C
- Keywords:
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- 0402 Agricultural systems;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 1640 Remote sensing;
- GLOBAL CHANGEDE: 6309 Decision making under uncertainty;
- POLICY SCIENCES