Remote Sens. 2010, 2(2), 562-578; doi:10.3390/rs2020562
Article

Value of Using Different Vegetative Indices to Quantify Agricultural Crop Characteristics at Different Growth Stages under Varying Management Practices

Jerry L. Hatfield* email and John H. Pruegeremail
USDA-ARS, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, 2110 University Blvd, Ames, Iowa 50011 USA
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 25 December 2009; in revised form: 5 February 2010 / Accepted: 8 February 2010 / Published: 23 February 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Croplands)
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Abstract: The paper investigates the value of using distinct vegetation indices to quantify and characterize agricultural crop characteristics at different growth stages. Research was conducted on four crops (corn, soybean, wheat, and canola) over eight years grown under different tillage practices and nitrogen management practices that varied rate and timing. Six different vegetation indices were found most useful, depending on crop phenology and management practices: (a) simple ratio for biomass, (b) NDVI for intercepted PAR, (c) SAVI for early stages of LAI, (d) EVI for later stages of LAI, (e) CIgreen for leaf chlorophyll, (f) NPCI for chlorophyll during later stages, and (g) PSRI to quantify plant senescence. There were differences among varieties of corn and soybean for the vegetation indices during the growing season and these differences were a function of growth stage and vegetative index. These results clearly imply the need to use multiple vegetation indices to best capture agricultural crop characteristics.
Keywords: agricultural crops; vegetation indices; crop characteristics; management practices

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MDPI and ACS Style

Hatfield, J.L.; Prueger, J.H. Value of Using Different Vegetative Indices to Quantify Agricultural Crop Characteristics at Different Growth Stages under Varying Management Practices. Remote Sens. 2010, 2, 562-578.

AMA Style

Hatfield JL, Prueger JH. Value of Using Different Vegetative Indices to Quantify Agricultural Crop Characteristics at Different Growth Stages under Varying Management Practices. Remote Sensing. 2010; 2(2):562-578.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hatfield, Jerry L.; Prueger, John H. 2010. "Value of Using Different Vegetative Indices to Quantify Agricultural Crop Characteristics at Different Growth Stages under Varying Management Practices." Remote Sens. 2, no. 2: 562-578.

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