UDC 528.

USE OF NDVI AND NDWI INDICES IN THE ANALYSIS OF EARTH SATELLITE

IMAGES FOR MONITORING THE STATE OF AGRICULTURAL FIELDS

N.A. Rybushkin

Postgraduate student of the Department of Astronomy and Space Geodesy,

Kazan Federal University, Kazan

A.N. Safina

Graduate of Municipal Budget Educational Institution “Gymnasium 96”, Kazan

V.M. Bezmenov

Candidate of Technical Sciences,

Head of the Department of Astronomy and Space Geodesy,
Kazan Federal University, Kazan

Abstract. The article proposes a method for monitoring agricultural fields using data
from
Еarth remote sensing satellites. The method was tested on the example of drought in the
Stavropol Territory in 2020. Satellite images for the same periods of 2019 and 2020 are
compared. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Keywords: Earth remote sensing, satellite image, index, NDVI, NDWI.
In the modern world, systems and technologies for remote sensing of the Earth (ERS)
from space are an indispensable tool for studying the state of the planet and monitoring the
dynamics of environmental changes. Remote sensing satellite data is used to solve a large
number of tasks: environmental monitoring, urban planning, agriculture, engineering
surveys, control of the oil industry and much more.
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the global constellation of
spacecraft, allowing for optoelectronic imaging from space. As a result, according to
experts, more than 250 remote sensing satellites are currently operating in orbit [1]. Such a
number of remote sensing devices operating in orbit makes it possible to obtain huge
amounts of information about the current state of the earth's surface. In this regard, in
recent years, there has been a clear interest in the wider use of archival space images,
including ultra-high spatial resolution. Archival data is considered to be data that has been
captured for more than 90 days. The main reason for the increased interest in archival data
is their relatively low cost.
 Grain is one of the export products, annually more than a hundred million tons of grain
crops are exported abroad, but the impact of drought and other natural phenomena can
greatly affect the volume of the crop. Due to the loss of crops, the profit received from the
sale of products is reduced, which affects the GDP.
In 2020, a drought occurred in the Stavropol Territory. For this agricultural region, grain
is the main export product. The drought affected the condition of the soil and the quality of
vegetation. The volume of grain harvest in the Stavropol region fell by more than 40%
compared to last year due to unfavorable weather. This could have been avoided if the
situation with the soil in the area had been analyzed in time.
The main 2 methods of field monitoring are widely known: the use of drones and leaf
diagnostics and soil analysis.
Advantages of drones: high mobility and speed, accuracy from 2 centimeters, moderate
dependence on weather conditions. Disadvantages: deterioration in the quality of images
in bad weather, the presence of areas where aircraft are prohibited, the impressive cost of
purchasing equipment.
Advantages of leaf diagnostics and soil analysis: the ability to identify weak spots in the
culture and allows you to determine the level of fertility of the site. Disadvantages:
processing time and inefficiency due to the size of the territories.
In this paper, for monitoring the state of agricultural fields, it is proposed to use data
from remote sensing satellites. The main advantages of remote sensing:
− efficiency and availability of data;
− simultaneous coverage of vast spaces;
− the possibility of studying hard-to-reach territories;
− the ability to compare data for different periods of time [2].
The purpose of this work was to prove the effectiveness of using satellite images in the
analysis of the vegetation of vast areas. To do this, using the NDVI and NDWI indices, the
preconditions and changes in the indices were studied before and during the drought in the
Stavropol Territory.
In the course of the work, images of suitable quality were obtained from the Sentinel 2
satellite on the Land Viewer website for three different months, with cloudiness below 10%.
Images for April, June and August were used, since these months are highlighted as the
most measurinng yilds.
In the Scanex Image Processor software, the calculation of the NDVI and NDWI indices
was carried out using the corresponding tool on the software panel. Also, for the accuracy
of the results, vector layers were created to indicate the measurement points ofboth
indices, 10 in total (Figure 1).
 Figure 1. - Measurement points of NDVI and NDWI indices
NDVI (Normalized difference vegetation index, Normalized vegetation index) is a
numerical measure of the quality of vegetation in a surface area. It is calculated from
satellite images and depends on how plants reflect and absorb light waves of different
lengths [3].
Since the chlorophyll contained in plants actively absorbs red waves and at the same
Calculation formula:
NDVI = (NIR - RED) / (NIR + RED),
where NIR is the near infrared spectral channel, RED is the red spectral channel.
Figure 2 shows pictures of agricultural fields in April 2019 and April 2020. In 2020, there
is a significant advantage in light green, indicating a low level of the NDVI index.
Accordingly, using this type of monitoring, it was possible to determine a strong decrease
in the amount of vegetation in this area of agricultural fields as early as April and prevent
the serious consequences of drought.

Figure 2. - Snapshot of agricultural fields in April 2019 (left) and April 2020 year
(right), where – high NDVI, – low NDVI
Calculation formula:
NDWI = (NIR - SWIR2) / (NIR + SWIR2),

where NIR is the near infrared spectral channel, SWIR2 is the shortwave infrared spectral
channel.
Figure 3 shows pictures of agricultural fields in April 2019 and April 2020. You can see
a slight advantage of the light green color in the image for 2020, which means a low level
of NDWI, and as a result, a decrease in moisture levels compared to the same period in
2019.

Figure 3. - Snapshot of agricultural fields in April 2019 (left) and April 2020 years (right),
where - high NDWI, - low NDWI
Having compiled a table of average values of the NDVI index for three months (April,
June and August), graphs of the change in the NDVI index (Figure 4) were obtained, which
indicate that in 2020 the indices were significantly lower than in 2019.

Figure 4. Graph of NDVI index change in 2019 and 2020

Vegetation index values range from 0.20 to 0.95. The more developed the vegetation
during the growing season, the higher the NDVI value. A value below 0.25 means critically
poor biomass development.
During the growing season, the indicator increases, reaches its peak around 0.80-0.85
and then begins to decline. The decrease in the index at the end of the growing season
reflects the process of crop maturation.
Judging by the chart in April 2020, the NDVI index was 60% lower than in 2019, in June
it was almost 50% lower than in 2019, in August the difference was already less - 35%,
presumably due to the harvest.
 Having compiled a table of average values of the NDWI index for the same period,
graphs of changes in the NDWI index were obtained (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Graph of NDWI index change in 2019 and 2020

The values of this index range from -1 to 1. The usual range for green vegetation is
from -0.1 to 0.4. It is considered that water bodies take values from 0.2 to 1, objects that do
not contain moisture take values less than 0.
The difference between the values of the NDWI index for each period was very large
and for 2020 took only negative values, which meant the absence of moisture throughout
2020.
To determine the onset of dry conditions, spectral vegetation indices were used as
indicators of plant response to water availability. Comparison of several remote sensing
indices allows minimizing the error in identifying the impact of drought on crop
development and biomass levels.
The results of this work demonstrate that the use of NDWI and NDVI indices is an
effective method for tracking drylands. With the help of their use, it is possible to predict
the state of plants in the future and take measures to prevent the death of crops, thereby
having a positive impact on the well-being of agriculture.

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