Clevers, J.G.P.W.

Gitelson, A.A.

Wageningen Yield 

Jan Clevers1 & Anatoly Gitelson2 
Results optimal band setting for CIred- edge: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Coefficient of variation (CV %) of canopy chlorophyll content estimation  (maize  and 
soybean) or canopy N content (grass and potato) by the R800/Rxxx index, with Rxxx as the 
reflectance of a spectral band in the 500 – 800 nm interval. 
 
Results Vegetation indices using Sentinel- 2 bands: 
 
Summary: R2 of linear relationship between indices and chlorophyll or N content. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Conclusions 
•   The red-edge chlorophyll index is a linear estimator of canopy chlorophyll  
     and N content. 
•   The best red-edge chlorophyll index uses a band in the 
     range 700 nm – 720 nm in the denominator. 
•   Sentinel-2 red-edge bands are well positioned  
     for deriving red-edge indices. 
       potato field 
     Map of canopy N content  
     based on RapidEye data. 
1 Centre for Geo-Information, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, NL-6700 AA Wageningen, 
  The Netherlands, E-mail: jan.clevers@wur.nl 
2 Centre for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies, University of Nebraska, 
  Lincoln, Nebraska, 58588, USA, E-mail: agitelson2@unl.edu 
Using the red-edge bands on Sentinel-2 for 
retrieving canopy chlorophyll and nitrogen content 
  Index Maize Soy-
bean 
Grass Potato 
Best R800/Rxxx - 1.0 0.94 0.94 0.80 0.89 
CIred edge 0.92 0.94 0.77 0.89 
CIgreen 0.93 0.92 0.77 0.88 
REP 0.92 0.70 0.79 0.85 
MTCI 0.92 0.87 0.80 0.86 
MCARI/OSAVI[705,750] 0.86 0.92 0.57 0.83 
TCARI/OSAVI[705,750] 0.85 0.91 0.75 0.85 
NDRE1 0.83 0.81 0.63 0.71 
NDRE2 0.83 0.81 0.67 0.73 
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
500 550 600 650 700 750 800
C
V 
(%
)
Wavelength (nm)
Soybean
Sentinel-2 
band B5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
500 550 600 650 700 750 800
C
V 
(%
)
Wavelength (nm)
Maize
Sentinel-2 
band B5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
500 550 600 650 700 750 800
C
V 
(%
)
Wavelength (nm)
Grass Sentinel-2 
band B5
20
25
30
35
40
45
500 550 600 650 700 750 800
C
V 
(%
)
Wavelength (nm)
Potato Sentinel-2 
band B5
Introduction 
 
Chlorophyll and nitrogen play a key role in the biochemistry of plants (e.g., 
photosynthesis). Optical remote sensing primarily provides integrated 
information of a plant or canopy, meaning over the IFOV of the sensor. As a 
result, we may get estimates of the canopy chlorophyll or nitrogen content. 
For the estimation the so-called red-edge region is very important and the 
new ESA mission Sentinel-2 carries a sensor (the MSI) incorporating two 
red-edge bands (at 705 nm and 740 nm). This will make the use of, e.g., 
the red-edge chlorophyll index feasible at high resolution. 
 
Research objectives: 
• Which band setting can best be used in the red-edge chlorophyll index? 
• How well does the band setting of Sentinel-2 match the best setting? 
• What is the suitability of different vegetation indices in estimating the 
chlorophyll and nitrogen (N) content based on Sentinel-2?  
 
 
Methodology 
 
Sentinel-2: 
• Polar orbiting satellite 
• Launch planned in 2013 
• Spatial resolution: 10 m, 20 m or 60 m 
• Interesting narrow bands for vegetation studies: 
       560, 665, 705, 740, 783, 842, 865 nm 
• High revisit due two constellation of two satellites 
 
Data sets: 
• Test site 1: maize – chlorophyll content 
            - 2001-2003 growing seasons 
            - Ocean Optics USB2000 spectroradiometer 
•Test site 2: soybean – chlorophyll content 
            - 2001-2003 growing seasons 
            - Ocean Optics USB2000 spectroradiometer 
•Test site 3: extensively grazed fen meadow – N content 
            - one date mid-June 2008, 40 random plots 
            - ASD FieldSpec measurements 
•Test site 2: potato field – N content 
            - multiple dates season 2010, 8 plots (4 N levels) 
            - 16-band Cropscan measurements 
 
 
Indices tested for chlorophyll and nitrogen estimation: 
 
  Index Formulation 
CIred edge 𝑅783/𝑅705 − 1 
CIgreen 𝑅783/𝑅560 − 1 
REP 705 + 35 𝑅665 + 𝑅783 /2−𝑅705
𝑅740 − 𝑅705
 
MTCI 𝑅740 − 𝑅705 / 𝑅705 − 𝑅665  
MCARI/OSAVI[705,750] 𝑅740 − 𝑅705 − 0.2 𝑅740 − 𝑅560 𝑅740 𝑅705⁄1 + 0.16 𝑅740 − 𝑅705 𝑅740 + 𝑅705 + 0.16⁄  
TCARI/OSAVI[705,750] 3 𝑅740 − 𝑅705 − 0.2 𝑅740 − 𝑅560 𝑅740 𝑅705⁄1 + 0.16 𝑅740 − 𝑅705 𝑅740 + 𝑅705 + 0.16⁄  
NDRE1 𝑅740 − 𝑅705)/(𝑅740 + 𝑅705  
NDRE2 𝑅783 − 𝑅705)/(𝑅783 + 𝑅705  


Using the red-edge bands on Sentinel-2 for retrieving canopy chlorophyll and nitrogen content

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