Simulation rice leaf reflectance and its inversion

Abstract

To improve our understanding of photon transporting inside leaves, and hence improve the accuracy of yield estimating and growth monitoring of rice by remotely sensed data, we simulated rice leaf reflectance by PROSPECT model. The experiment, which were referred to as the late rice experiment, were conducted at Zhejiang University in 1999 and 2000 with one species of rice (which is called Xiushui 63); In 1999 the rice was planted normally, but in 2000 it was fertilized in three different levels (low, medium and high). Leaf spectrum (reflectance and transmittance), biochemical concentration such as chlorophyll, protein, cellulose, lignin and water content, and leaf area were measured during the experiment. By the PROSPECT model, we simulated leaf reflectance on four days’ data set in 1999 and one day’s data set of three fertilizations in 2000. The correlation coefficients between actual and simulated values are more than 0.995, the <i>RMSE</i> values are less than 0.0212. On the other hand, the model has been inversed to estimate chlorophyll concentration. Compared with actual value, the comparative errors are less than 10%.