Synchronous Response Analysis of Features for Remote Sensing Crop Classification Based on Optical and SAR Time-Series Data

• Main Authors: Yingwei Sun, Jiancheng Luo, Tianjun Wu, Ya’nan Zhou, Hao Liu, Lijing Gao, Wen Dong, Wei Liu, Yingpin Yang, Xiaodong Hu, Lingyu Wang, Zhongfa Zhou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: optical time-series data; sar time-series data; rnn; synchronous response relationship; cloudy and rainy region; crop classification
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/19/4227

Accurate crop classification is the basis of agricultural research, and remote sensing is the only effective measuring technique to classify crops over large areas. Optical remote sensing is effective in regions with good illumination; however, it usually fails to meet requirements for highly accurate crop classification in cloud-covered areas and rainy regions. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can achieve active data acquisition by transmitting signals; thus, it has strong resistance to cloud and rain interference. In this study, we designed an improved crop planting structure mapping framework for cloudy and rainy regions by combining optical data and SAR data, and we revealed the synchronous-response relationship of these two data types. First, we extracted geo-parcels from optical images with high spatial resolution. Second, we built a recurrent neural network (RNN)-based classifier suitable for remote sensing images on the geo-parcel scale. Third, we classified crops based on the two datasets and established the network. Fourth, we analyzed the synchronous response relationships of crops based on the results of the two classification schemes. This work is the basis for the application of remote sensing data for the fine mapping and growth monitoring of crop planting structures in cloudy and rainy areas in the future.