Remote Sensing for Cropping Systems and Bare Soils Monitoring and Optimization

Dear Colleagues,

remote sensing (RS) and Earth Observation (EO) information is central for detecting crop type, monitoring crop growth and development, plant health, productivity and managing nutrient optimization programs in agricultural systems. The chlorophyll molecules are the main key enablers in this investigation in virtue of their intrinsic properties converting absorbed solar irradiance into stored chemical energy; chlorophyll is therefore the driver of the plant photosynthetic capacity and primary productivity.

Remote sensing information can also be used for gaining insights into mechanisms plants use to respond to climate change and other adversities across diverse ecosystems, and for optimizing the cropping systems in a more sustainable way. Cropping systems e.g., crop rotations, polyculture, and other agroecological techniques can result in different productivity and effects on soil properties, and can be implemented to sustainably mitigate and adapt to climate change. The challenge remains how remote sensing can detect and repeatably quantify indicators of such cropping systems’ benefits. On the other hand, annual cropping systems are characterized by frequent rotations and periods of bare soils between consecutive cropping seasons. A bare soil is exposed to soil and productivity degrading factors such as erosion, lixiviation, and accelerated soil organic carbon oxidation. The early identification of bare soils is therefore necessary for their optimized management e.g., second crops, cover crops, etc. Sustainable cropping systems and bare soils management are the obliged path to climate change resilient agroecosystems and our capability to feed World’s increasing populations.

This Special Issue is thus aiming at garnering state-of-the-art RS/EO-based research to retrieve and model crop types and yields, bare soils, and cropping systems and relative economic and environmental performances. Implementing AI/machine learning and deriving empirical scenarios on cropping systems and bare soils management optimization is encouraged.

Dr. Ephrem Habyarimana
Dr. Nicolas Greggio
Guest Editors

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