Polarimetric millimetre wave SAR for precision farming applications

A high resolution imaging millimetre wave SAR delivers three key parameters important for precision farming applications, namely range, reflectivity and polarization state. The reflectivity gives information upon the type of crop and its humidity. Especially in the millimeter wave region young growing green plants exhibit a considerably higher reflectivity than older, dry leaves. Dependent on the transmit-receive polarization also indications are given upon the humidity of the underlying soil. Polarimetry also allows to judge the ripeness of the grain as the geometry of the ear is changing during the ripening process.