Evaluation of NOAA-AVHRR data for crop assessment

A study has been carried out in order to determine the angular limits which should be imposed upon NOAA06 and -7 satellite advanced very high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) data used in vegetation assessment. The study involved simulations of anticipated sensor output over a wheat crop and empirical investigation of sensor data over vegetated areas. The conclusion drawn from both approaches is that less than 10% variation in the simulated vegetative index may be anticipated across the swath of imagery used if only the central 512 pixels are utilized.