Exploring the capacity to grasp multi-annual seasonal variability of winter wheat in Continental Climates with MODIS

This paper presents some exploratory results of the FP-7 MOCCCASIN project that aims to MOnitor Crops in Continental Climates through ASsimilation of Satellite Information. MOCCCASIN is a collaborative project which focuses on improving the monitoring of winter-wheat and forecasting of winter-wheat yield in Russia by combining modelling techniques with satellite data assimilation [1]. In continental climate, winter wheat is particularly affected by low temperatures during the winter which determine whether rapid regrowth is possible in spring. A pre-requisite to use satellite earth observation to characterize the effect of winter kill on wheat is to determine if the multi-annual seasonal variability over the entire growing season can be grasped by remote sensing indicators. The results over an exploratory study site in Tula region for 5 years (2005–2009) demonstrate that it was possible to retrieve crop status indicators using an approach combining radiative transfer modeling and neural networks which could inform on where winter kill has stricken.