CARTOGRAPHIE DES CULTURES DANS LE PÉRIMÈTRE DU LOUKKOS (MAROC): APPORT DE LA TÉLÉDÉTECTION RADAR ET OPTIQUE

Abstract

In this article, we analyze the possibility to improve the classification of crops in an irrigated area of northern Morocco based on the combination of the multi-temporal data of two satellites (Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2) with the inclusion of nine indices. The area concerned (Loukkos), in addition to its strategic position, is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with a strong ecological value. It presents an intense agricultural activity with a great diversity of cultures whose functioning could be affected by climate change. To quantify water requirements, we used the series of satellite images acquired during 09/2017 to 08/2018. Maps produced for three classification levels illustrate our approach. The study showed that the 10 optical channels, at 10 and 20 m spatial resolution, of the data acquired by Sentinel-2 provide good performance, with a kappa index > 85% for all (sub)classes and an overall accuracy > 86%. These performances are superior to those obtained with radar data acquired by Sentinel-1, with F-score deviations of 9% lower on average, and up to 29% (on cork oak/SSC level). Neither the addition of optical radiometric indices, nor the optical and radar combination data provide a significant improvement in performance obtained with Sentinel-2 data. In order to exploit the data obtained, future work would focus on studying the temporal profiles of each type of crop.