Variability of high-resolution crop reflectance spectra

Abstract

High-spectral-resolution reflectance spectra from ground and helicopter measurements of agricultural crops and soils were analyzed to determine spectral variability in the visible and near-infrared (0 4-2 38 μm), using a procedure previously applied to thermal infrared emittance spectra of the atmosphere and to reflectance spectra of soil samples. Five spectral basis functions were sufficient to describe separately the ground and helicopter data, six or, at most, seven are sufficient to describe the pooled data. Thus, five to seven relatively broad band measurements, together with basis functions developed in this analysis, are sufficient to describe the variability of both data sets, to within differences that are probably associated with the measurement process and instrument noise.