Estimation of agricultural and biophysical parameters of rice fields in Vietnam using X-band dual-polarization SAR

In this study, we use time-series of X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to monitor rice fields in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Ten dual-polarisation (HH&VV) images of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation are used in the third rice season of 2013, and 3 images in the first season of 2014. In 2013, the season-long comparison of backscatter and biophysical parameters measured in 40 fields allowed us to develop methods to map rice fields at both seasons and to derive the sowing date and the plant biomass at the vegetative stage in 2013.