Early crop maps

The early crop map provides an agricultural herbaceous crop classification at the beginning of the irrigation season to discriminate potentially non-irrigated from irrigated areas. The classification subdivides the agricultural areas into three classes according to crop season: winter, multi-annual and spring–summer herbaceous crops. The classification of agricultural crops in macro-classes is performed by the analysis of multi-temporal optical satellite image series, selected in order to maximize the phenological differences among these classes. The classification scheme is based on three acquisition windows from autumn to early spring, and classifies crop macro-classes according to presence/absence of seasonal vegetation cover:

1. Late October to mid-November: absence of vegetation in winter and summer crop fields, presence of vegetation in multi-annual crop fields;

2. Late January to end of February: absence of vegetation in summer crop fields, presence of vegetation in winter and multi-annual crop fields;

3. Late of March to mid-April: absence of vegetation in summer crop fields, presence of vegetation in winter and multi-annual crop fields

It covers 3 Land reclamation and Irrigation Boards (consorzi di bonifica) ofEmilia-Romagna Region: Burana, Renana and Romagna.