PhenoCrop: An integrated satellite-based framework to estimate physiological growth stages of corn and soybeans

The accurate and timely estimates of crop physiological growth stages are essential for efficient crop management and precise modeling of agricultural systems. Satellite remote sensing has been widely used to retrieve vegetation phenology metrics at local to global scales. However, most of these phenology metrics (e.g., green-up) are different from crop growth stages (e.g., emergence) used in crop management and modeling. As such, an integrated framework referred to as PhenoCrop was developed to: 1) establish a connection between remote sensing-derived phenology metrics and key crop growth stages based on Wang and Engle plant phenology model and 2) use fused MODIS-Landsat 30 m 8-day reflectance data generated using Kalman Filter-based data fusion technique to produce onset dates of key growth stages of corn (Zea mays L.) and soybeans (Glycine max L.) at 30 m spatial resolution. In this paper, we described the PhenoCrop framework, and tested its performance for the State of Nebraska for 2012–2016 by comparison to observations of estimated key growth stages at four experimental sites, and state-level statistical data from Crop Progress Reports (CPRs) published by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistical Services (NASS). In addition, to evaluate the suitability of using coarse or high spatial resolution satellite imagery, fused MODIS-Landsat-based estimates were compared with those produced using EOS MODIS 250 m (MOD9Q1) reflectance data. The PhenoCrop estimates captured the typical spatial trends of gradual delay in the progression of the growing season from southeast to northwest Nebraska. Also inter-annual differences due to factors such as weather fluctuations and change in management strategies (e.g., early season in 2012) were evident in the estimates. Validation results revealed that average root mean square error (RMSE) of the state-level estimates of corn and soybean growth stages ranged from 1.10 to 4.20 days and from 3.81 to 7.89 days, respectively, while pixel level estimates had a RMSE ranging from 3.72 to 8.51 days for corn and 4.76–9.51 days for soybean growth stages. Although MODIS 250 m based estimates showed similar general spatial patterns observed in the fused MODIS-Landsat based estimates, the accuracy and ability to capture field scale variations was improved with fused MODIS-Landsat data. Overall, results showed the ability of PhenoCrop framework to provide reliable estimates of crop growth stages that can be highly useful in crop modeling and crop management during the growing season.