Geomatics applications to assist efficient use of water for enhancing crop water productivity - field level monitoring of crop using open access temporal and high spatial resolution earth observation data

All possible efforts are needed to explore the science and technology of Geomatics- remote sensing, GPS, GIS, modelling and ICT to assist the decisions on applications of variable rate technology under Indian conditions. Remote sensing applications for natural resources survey and monitoring has emerged as one of the major peaceful uses of space technology. Agricultural fields follow clear pattern for seasonal vegetation from emergence to maturity characterised by sharp increase in vegetative growth period followed by a plateau and then decline in NDVI with senescence. The land covers having vegetation show distinct signature of vegetation, accordingly fallow-1 which is a field with grasses has high NDVI during July and October which gradually comes down in later months with drying of grasses. Fallow-2 which is combination of bushes and grasses has high NDVI throughout the period of observation, which was relatively low in the month of June and till mid-July. The analysis of temporal NDVI data set for rabi season has shown promise of field level identification of a no. of kharif season crops. At 10m spatial resolution it is possible to generate information about within field variability in crop/biomass.