Work

A Remote Sensing Approach for Biomass Assessment in Winter Wheat Using the NDVI Second Derivative in Terms of NIR

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Traditional NDVI-based biomass estimation methods often suffer from saturation at high vegetation density and limited sensitivity during early crop growth, which reduces their effectiveness for precise monitoring. This study addresses these limitations by introducing the use of the second derivative of NDVI with respect to near-infrared (NIR) reflectance as a novel indicator of inflection points and dynamic changes in crop development. The proposed method is mathematically derived, and a corresponding index is calculated. Field trials were conducted on five winter wheat varieties over two growing seasons (2021–2023). The results demonstrated a strong correlation between the derived index and actual biomass measurements. To validate the findings, linear regression analysis between the second derivative of NDVI and biomass scores yielded R and R2 values equal to 1. These findings confirm the high predictive power and reliability of the method for non-destructive UAV-based biomass monitoring in precision agriculture.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su17167299

Authors: Asparuh I. Atanasov, Atanas Z. Atanasov, Boris I. Evstatiev

Institutions: Technical University of Varna, Angel Kanchev University of Ruse

Language: English

Topic: Remote Sensing in Agriculture

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896