Assessing Spectral Reflectance in African Smallholder Cereal Farms Using Sentinel-2 Imagery
2025
Aicha Biaou | Steve Phillips | Ivan Adolwa | Jean Sogbedji | Mouna Mechri | Basil Kavishe
Achieving food security in Africa requires the sustainable intensification of cereal production, particularly for wheat, rice, and maize, which form the foundation of daily caloric intake in Africa. Smallholder farmers, who dominate cereal production in Africa, face challenges such as low productivity, limited resources, and varying climatic conditions. Remote sensing, specifically through Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, offers a cost-effective method to monitor and improve farming practices. This study evaluates the possibility of extracting spectral reflectance curves of cereal crops from Sentinel-2 imagery across 68 smallholder farms in Togo, Tunisia, and Tanzania from 2021 to 2023. The farms ranged in size from 1 to 2 ha. We also assessed the separability of reflectance values following improved management practices (IPs), which included optimized seeding, fertilization, and pest control, and traditional farmers&rsquo: practices (FPs), which are typically characterized by inconsistent plant spacing and sub-optimal fertilization and pest management. Additionally, we analyzed regional variability in reflectance values to understand how climatic and management differences affect crop performance. Results showed that Sentinel-2 successfully captured spectral reflectance curves in all the countries and delineated management practice differences in Togo and Tunisia.
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