ARCHIVES
VOL. 12, ISSUE 12 (2025)
A systematic review on the application of Remote Sensing for Crop Area Estimation
Authors
Mukesh Kumari, Babita
Abstract
Accurate crop area estimation is fundamental
to global food security, agricultural policy formulation, and sustainable
resource management. Traditional ground-based surveys, while valuable, face
significant limitations including high costs, spatial inconsistency, and
temporal delays. Remote sensing (RS) has emerged as a transformative
technology, enabling scalable, timely, and cost-effective monitoring of
agricultural landscapes. This comprehensive review synthesizes five decades of
advancements in RS-based crop area estimation, evaluating the evolution of
sensor technologies (optical, radar, thermal), methodological innovations
(machine learning, data fusion), and operational frameworks. We analyze over
200 peer-reviewed studies, revealing a clear trajectory from early pixel-based
classifiers (70–85% accuracy) to contemporary deep learning approaches (85–95%
accuracy), accelerated by cloud computing platforms like Google Earth Engine.
Notable successes include India’s nationwide kharif rice mapping (94% accuracy
using Sentinel-1/2 fusion) and Brazil’s large-scale soybean monitoring (89%
accuracy via MODIS time-series). Persistent challenges such as cloud cover,
spectral ambiguities in complex cropping systems, and smallholder farm
fragmentation are critically examined. We conclude that RS is indispensable for
achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to zero hunger
and climate action, advocating for standardized validation protocols and
equitable technology access. This work serves as both a technical reference and
strategic roadmap for researchers, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders
navigating the future of precision agriculture.
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Pages:67-69
How to cite this article:
Mukesh Kumari, Babita "A systematic review on the application of Remote Sensing for Crop Area Estimation". International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, Vol 12, Issue 12, 2025, Pages 67-69
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