Time Series of Hybrid-Polarity Parameters Over Agricultural Crops

An example of the potential of hybrid-polarity architecture parameters for agricultural monitoring is presented in this letter. Time series of such descriptors have been generated from quad-polarization radar airborne measurements at the L-band acquired during the AgriSAR 2006 campaign. An assessment on the sensitivity of these observables for monitoring the cultivation of winter wheat, maize, and winter rape crops has been addressed. All possible correlations among these polarimetric descriptors and crop coverage, phenological stage, leaf area index, wet biomass, and crop height have been analyzed for the whole growth season. The results of this study reveal that hybrid-polarity systems provide sensitivity in many cases to retrieve both quantitative information and qualitative information from agricultural crops.