A System Development for Remote Sensing, and Interpretation for Rice Fields in the World Using Satellite Data

Remote Sensing Laboratory, Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agriculture Science, Tohoku University started at April 2004. For the studies and education at the laboratory we are now developing the system of remote sensing and GIS. Our system consists of ordinary PCs, one digitizer and one color laser printer. The PCs are assembled by us for the optimal performance and the low cost. Gigabit LAN connects each PC, and one PC is used as file server to store remote sensing images and GIS data such as digital maps, geocoded satellite images and digital elevation models (DEM). The file server has RAID system for safety storage from HD trouble. We use ARC/GIS as GIS software and many kinds of Remote Sensing software such as, ERDAS/Imagine, ENVI, eCognition, PG-Steamer and SILCAST. Using the developing system, we understand and teach for regional differences of agriculture especially with the interpretation of ASTER data analysis. A kind of project "Determination of Local Characteristics at Global Agriculture Using archive ASTER Data" was started at the middle of November 2005. We establish data processing system and get some results. Paddy rice fields analysis was started at first, we analyze 1) the Shonai Plains in Japan, 2) the Yangtze River delta in Middle-East China, 3) Mekong Delta in South Vietnam, 4) North-east Thai Plaines, Thailand, 5) Sacrament Valley, California, USA. The results of this studies are as follows, 1) Using ASTER images, we can easily understand agricultural characteristics of each local area. 2) ASTER data have high accuracy for location, and the accuracy is suitable for global study without the fine topographical maps, 3) By five years observation of ASTER, there are huge numbers of ASTER scenes, but not enough volumes for cloud free data for seasonal analysis. It means that follow-on program of ASTER is necessary, 4) We need not only paddy field, but also all crop fields and all area, 5) The studies are necessary to international corroboration.Original Pape