Crop Type Mapping in Qazvin by Using Multi- Temporal Satellite Images: IRSC-LISSIII DATA

Document Type : Original Article

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Abstract

In order to address global problems to food security, regional and national planners use multidisciplinary decision support systems for monitoring the agricultural production; Recent development in remote sensing and GIS techniques for land use evaluation can play an effective role in sustainable land use planning.
Crop type mapping is important for a number of reasons. Spatial information on distribution and extent of agricultural production is a significant aspect to generate spatial agricultural statistics. Crop type maps are created by national and local authorities and regional agricultural boards to prepare an inventory of what was grown in certain areas. This serves the purpose of predicting grain supplies, collecting crop production statistics, mapping soil productivity, assessment of crop damage due to draught. This study is based on the observation that there is a serious need to form accurate and timely information on crop area information particularly strategic crop as wheat at national level. Main objective in this research was to map wheat planting area which is the most dominant crop in Qazvin province.According to classification result of imagery taken on 5-May-2003 three different crops of wheat, barley and hay were classified as one class due to very similar spectral reflectance. Therefore the three dominant crops in the area (Wheat, barley, hay) were separated from other land uses. According to crop calendar of the study area most irrigated barley in the area are being  harvested within late June, so infra- red reflectance in the next images represent irrigated wheat and some hay.Wheat has been harvested in early August so infra-red reflectance in imagery of early August represent hay. Therefore harvested wheat area may be calculated from this image.This kind of information can play an important role in environmental researches and spatial planning studies

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