Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Mapping of cropland winter soil cover in northern Belgium using Sentinel-2 time series

Fien Vanongeval, Jos Van Orshoven, Anne Gobin

Computers and Electronics in Agriculture · 2025

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Summary

This paper presents a remote-sensing methodology for mapping winter soil cover in northern Belgian cropland using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. The authors developed and validated a time-series classification approach to identify and spatially delineate winter cover crops and other vegetation across agricultural landscapes, with potential applications for monitoring soil conservation practices and erosion risk at regional scale.

UK applicability

The methodology may be applicable to UK arable regions with similar cropping patterns and climate, supporting monitoring of cover crop uptake and soil protection policies. However, validation and calibration would be required for UK-specific soil types, crop varieties, and climatic conditions.

Key measures

Sentinel-2 spectral indices and time-series classification accuracy; spatial distribution maps of winter soil cover types; validation against field observations

Outcomes reported

The study developed and validated a method for mapping the spatial distribution and extent of winter soil cover (cover crops and other vegetation) across cropland in northern Belgium using Sentinel-2 satellite time-series data. The approach as suggested by the title estimates winter ground cover at regional scale to support soil health and erosion risk assessment.

Theme
Measurement & metrics
Subject
Measurement methods & nutrient profiling
Study type
Research
Study design
Field trial
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Belgium
System type
Arable cereals
DOI
10.1016/j.compag.2025.111254
Catalogue ID
SNmp4zkjo1-42ngcu

Topic tags

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