Yield indicators extracted from the combined use of CORINE land cover and NOAA-AVHRR/NDVI

In the framework of crop monitoring projects, satellite derived information is widely used to derive crop information and indices for yield estimation. The methodology applied here consists of extracting yield indicators from the combined use of land cover information (CORINE) and NOAA-AVHHR/NDVI at medium scale. The integration of an independent land cover increases the information content of the extracted time series of NDVI. Thus, indicators extracted are more closely related to crop yield. The study investigated the potential use of NDVI profiles obtained for the 'non-irrigated arable land' CORINE class to perform crop yield assessment. Data for wheat grown in Spain between 1995 and 1997 are presented at regional scale (sixteen administrative regions). By means of a statistical model (linear regression), indicators extracted from the CORINE class NDVI profiles have been linked to crop yields.