Estimating the Leaf Area Index of Winter Wheat Canopies with Crop Growth Model CERES-Wheat

Crop leaf area index (LAI) is an important parameter for crop growth monitoring and yield estimation. Considering the reliability and applicability of the statistical algorithms and the nonparametric algorithms in LAI estimation, a way for crop LAI estimation based on crop growth model is proposed in this study. For this LAI estimation scheme, firstly, the crop growth model is calibrated using history observations of the experimental area, then the calibrated values are input into the physical model for LAI estimation. Winter wheat in Beijing in 2002 is selected as experimental object. The RMSE, R2, and Accuracy of CERES-Wheat model for crop LAI estimation are 0.87, 0.38, and 1.05 (N=128), respectively.