Investigation of agricultural land use in Italy and Germany by means of the multi-band/multi-frequency SIR-C/X-SAR system

This study explored the application of multi-band/multi-frequency SIR-C/X-SAR images to agricultural remote sensing. The sensitivity of the backscattered signal with respect to crop or land cover type as well as crop conditions is evaluated. The ability of classify crops early during the growing season with such multi-parameter data sets and the contribution of the various frequencies to the correct classification of land cover types is also assessed. Data used for the study encompasses two well-separated test sites, one in southern Germany and the other in northern Italy.