Assessing and mapping crop vulnerability due to sudden cooling using time series satellite data

Sudden cooling during the crop growing phase seriously impacts crop growth. Crop vulnerability to low temperature stress is affected both by crop growing condition and the lowest environmental temperature. In this study taking winter wheat in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China as an example, vulnerability index to low temperature stress was assessed based on time series satellite data in nearly ten years. Growth sensitivity of wheat-frost was quantified by vegetation index change between tillering stage before winter and shooting stage in the next year. Exposure index of wheat-frost was defined as lowest land surface temperature during critical growth period. Cluster analysis of crop mean vulnerability index showed that high vulnerability of wheat-frost located in central and northern of Hebei Province in nearly 10 years. The result will help to prevent frost damage of winter wheat.