Using Spectral Vegetation Index to Estimate Continuous Cotton and Rice-Cotton Rotation Effects on Cotton Yield

A satellite remote sensing experiment, designed to test the difference in ratio vegetation index between monoculture cotton and cotton–rice rotation cotton, was carried out at Xinghua during 2001 and 2002 cropping seasons. The methods of analysis developed for this experiment are described in the present paper and demonstrated using ratio vegetation indexes of cotton. We conclude that the mean ratio vegetation index difference of cotton between two culture modes is often substantial That is, we have found the sufficient statistical evidence to conclude that the yield of rotation cotton is generally greater than that of monoculture cotton.