Monitoring der Winterbegrünung auf Ackerflächen anhand von Satellitendaten / Monitoring of Winter Vegetation on Arable Land Based onSatellite Data

Abstract

An important measure of water and erosion protection on arable land is land cover throughout the year. Cultivation of one-year crops can lead to longer periods without vegetation cover, especially during wintertime. The cultivation of so-called catch crops is only captured if it is part of the area based subsidies and considered for the application of the farmer. In addition, however, where in winter the ground is covered is not known. Based on the analysis and interpretation of satellite data (Sentinel-2 data) and data from the agricultural administration, a study was carried out to determine the extent and intensity of winter vegetation on arable land. The validations show that the leaf area index (LAI) derived from the satellite data is a good indicator of the degree of winter soil cover. The average weighted LAI figures for the whole of Bavaria are still relatively high in October 2017, to decline more or less sharply in the period from November to February 2018.