Frost damage detection in sugarcane crop using MODIS images and SRTM data

The sugarcane production in the South-central region of Brazil has more than doubled over the last decade reaching a maximum of 557 million tons in 2010/11. A significant and unexpected decrease was observed in crop year 2011/12 dropping the production to 494 million tons. Several factors contributed to a major crop yield loss including a sudden frost event in São Paulo state. It is difficult to estimate the frost impact but remote sensing images might be useful to quantify the intensity of the damage and its spatial distribution. The objective of this study is to detect and evaluate the extent of the frost damage using MODIS, Landsat, and STRM data. Field work for classification and validation purposes was conducted shortly after frost occurrence. Preliminary analyses indicated that remote sensing satellite images were useful to detect and evaluate the extent the frost damage on sugarcane fields.