Cereal Crops Soil Parameters Retrieval Using L-Band ALOS-2 and C-Band Sentinel-1 Sensors

This paper discusses the potential of L-band Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) and C-band Sentinel-1 radar data for retrieving soil parameters over cereal fields. For this purpose, multi-incidence, multi-polarization dual-frequency satellite were acquired simultaneously with in situ measurements collected a semiarid area, Merguellil Plain (central Tunisia). The L- signal sensitivity to roughness, moisture vegetation was investigated. High correlation coefficients observed between signals roughness values all processed multi-configurations ALOS-2 data. SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) investigated three classes normalized difference index (NDVI) (low cover, medium cover dense cover), illustrating decreasing increasing NDVI values. highest under class is various properties (leaf area (LAI), height (H) water content (VWC)), strong (in HH(Horizontal-Horizontal) HV(Horizontal-Vertical) polarizations). Different empirical models that link C-bands) parameters, as well semi-empirical Dubois modified model (Dubois-B) integral equation (IEM-B), bare soils are proposed polarizations. results reveal IEM-B performed better accuracy comparing Dubois-B. analysis also covered surfaces using different options provided by cloud (WCM) (with without soil–vegetation interaction scattering term) coupled best backscattering models: co-polarization entire dataset. Based on validated models, tested inversion. integration component WCM illustrates considerable contribution precision HV polarization mode frequency neglected effect