For agronomic, environmental, and economic reasons, the need for spatialized information about agricultural practices is expected to rapidly increase. In this context, we reviewed the literature on remote sensing for mapping cropping practices. The reviewed studies were grouped into three categories of practices: crop succession (crop rotation and fallowing), cropping pattern (single tree crop planting pattern, sequential cropping, and intercropping/agroforestry), and cropping techniques (irrigation, soil tillage, harvest and post-harvest practices, crop varieties, and agro-ecological infrastructures). We observed that the majority of the studies were exploratory investigations, tested on a local scale with a high dependence on ground data, and used only one type of remote sensing sensor. Furthermore, to be correctly implemented, most of the methods relied heavily on local knowledge on the management practices, the environment, and the biological material. These limitations point to future research directions, such as the use of land stratification, multi-sensor data combination, and expert knowledge-driven methods. Finally, the new spatial technologies, and particularly the Sentinel constellation, are expected to improve the monitoring of cropping practices in the challenging context of food security and better management of agro-environmental issues.

https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-02438951/document

Remote Sensing and Cropping Practices: A Review

Identification and management of the groundwater quality are of utmost importance for maintaining freshwater resources in arid and semi-arid areas, which is essential for sustainable development. Based on the quality of the groundwater in various areas, local policymakers and water resource managers can allocate the usage of resources for either drinking or agricultural purposes. This research aims to identify suitable areas of water pumping for drinking and agricultural harvest in the Tabriz aquifer, located in East Azerbaijan province, northwest Iran. A groundwater compatibility study was conducted by analyzing Electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), Chloride (Cl), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Sulfate (SO4), Total hardness (TH), Bicarbonate (HCO3), pH, carbonate (CO3), the and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) obtained from 39 wells in the time period from 2003 to 2014. The Water Quality Index (WQI) and irrigation water quality (IWQ) index are respectively utilized due to their high importance in identifying the quality of water resources for irrigation and drinking purposes. The WQI index zoning for drinking classified water as excellent, good, or poor. The study concludes that most drinking water harvested for urban and rural areas is ‘excellent water’ or ‘good water’. The IWQ index average for the study area is reported to be in the range of 25.9 to 34.55. The results further revealed that about 37 percent (296 km2) of groundwater has high compatibility, and 63 percent of the study area (495 km2) has average compatibility for agricultural purposes. The trend of IWQ and WQI indexes demonstrates that groundwater quality has been declining over time.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/1/177/pdf

Groundwater quality assessment for sustainable drinking and irrigation

Currently, Brazil is the largest consumer of agrochemicals in the world. Several studies have proved the harm to human and environment health due to exposure to agrochemicals.A systematic review was carried out over the period 2011 to 2017 about this theme on scientific databases. A total of 116 studies were included that demonstrated the negative impact on human and environment health. It is essential to carry out studies on the effects of chronic and simultaneous exposure to various agrochemicals, in addition to studies on the links of structural determination of the use of poisons and their consequences.

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Agrotóxicos e seus impactos na saúde humana e ambiental: uma revisão sistemática

A robust Multi-Band Water Index (MBWI) for automated extraction of surface water from Landsat 8 OLI imagery

Hydrogeological characterisation of groundwater over Brazil using remotely sensed and model products.

The morphological characteristics of watersheds play an important role on its hydrological behavior. Hence, the knowledge of the natural conditions of the watershed can ensure a greater efficiency of interventions that may be performed and therefore environmental planning should consider elements such as the characterization of these units, being a necessary quantitative expression of these factors for an understanding of its interrelationships. Thus, the main objective of this study was to analyze the physical characteristics of the watersheds of the Tega, Maestra, Faxinal, Belo, Pinhal and Piai rivers, located in Caxias do Sul, in southern Brazil. The main results indicate moderate drainage conditions in these watersheds, which might be associated with moderate transmissibility of the soil and also moderate susceptibility to erosion. Furthermore, the results indicate high constants of channel maintenance and elongated shape, to which can be attributed a good capacity of groundwater recharge. Finally, it is hoped that this study will help future research in these areas, besides supporting the planning and management of watersheds.

Morphometric evaluation of watersheds in Caxias do Sul City, Brazil, using SRTM (DEM) data and GIS

The conversion of continuous forest coverage areas into forest fragments has contributed to the decrease of the biological diversity due to the micro-habitat loss, changes in dispersion and migration patterns, habitats' isolation and soil erosion. The solution for those problems is intimately linked to the planning and maintenance of hydrographic basins. Jacare's stream sub-basin is located in Taquari Valley, RS, with an area of 538,98 km2, where nine municipal districts are partially or totally inserted. This basin is in an ecotone area among the plant formations Deciduous Seasonal Forest (DSF) and Mixed Ombrophila Forest - Araucaria Forest (MOF). Information related to the structural characteristics of the existent forest classes in the area (DSF, MOF and secondary growth vegetation) was elaborated and analyzed using images from the satellite Landsat 7 ETM+, passage 04/02/2002 and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Idrisi 3.2 and Landscape Ecology Fragstats 3.3 software systems. The results indicate that the area presents approximately 52% of native forests that are preserved or in regeneration process, but in a highly fragmented way, with 87,82% of the fragments smaller than 1ha. Considering a border effect of 50m, around 40% of the fragments still present a nuclear area.

/pdf/landscape-composition-and-configuration-of-jacare-stream-sub-2v4j42hkga.pdf

Landscape composition and configuration of jacaré stream sub-basin, Taquari Valley, RS, with emphasis on the forest areas.

Satellite images are used to determine the reflectance dependency on wavelength in different grape varieties (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, and chardonnay). The terroir influence is investigated through a study of vineyards in France, Brazil and Chile. Statistical techniques (ANOVA, cluster and discriminant analysis) are applied. Results indicate that there are consistent spectral features, mainly in the near infrared, which can lead to variety identification. Discriminant functions were derived; these separate grape varieties for the regions studied. Spectral features are affected by terroir effects, since the reflectance spectra showed similarities between regions, specially for cabernet sauvignon; phenological factors, expressed by the NDVI, further contribute to variety differentiation. It is concluded that remote sensing data are effective for terroir and grape variety studies.

Spectral Discrimination of Grape Varieties and a Search for Terroir Effects Using Remote Sensing

Dentre os mecanismos de planejamento ambiental passiveis de serem utilizados a ecologia de paisagem e o zoneamento ambiental tem se destacado como estrategicos, pois buscam a compatibilizacao entre o desenvolvimento economico e a qualidade ambiental. O presente trabalho apresenta uma metodologia que alia a legislacao a ecologia de paisagem e, desta forma, um zoneamento ambiental que conserve areas florestadas mesmo que fora das areas de protecao permanente (APP) impostas pela legislacao, utilizando como modelo a regiao politico-administrativa denominada o Vale do Taquari, RS, Brasil. Os resultados encontrados demonstram que 45% das terras sao indicadas para uso intensivo (AUI), 38% para uso restrito (AUR), 14% sao APPs e 2,3% correspondem a drenagem. No entanto, na AUI ha 74,85km2 de area florestada que, de acordo com os criterios de ecologia de paisagem, deveriam ser conservados.

http://www.geofocus.org/index.php/geofocus/article/view/163/28

A ecologia da paisagem como base para o zoneamento ambiental da região político-administrativa – Vale do Taquari – RS – Brasil – um modelo de proposta metodológica

In present times, the Brazil is in the middle of the largest pesticide consumers worldwide, which demands proper control of environmental contamination. This study evaluated herbicides, acaricide, insecticides and fungicides in water and sediment carried-out from Lageado Tacongava hydrographic basin, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For analysis, a QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe), and/or SPE (Solid-Phase Extraction) using HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) with MS (Mass Detector) was optimized. As result, the Linearity R2 > 0.99; Recuperation between 78 a 117%; and RSD < 20% for the 70 compounds simultaneously analyzed. The Acetamiprid, Azoxystrobin, Bendiocarb, Fenamidone, metribuzin, Pendimethalin, pyridaben, Thiophanate-methyl and Truflumizole found in water, and Acetamiprid, Azoxystrobin, Bendiocarb, boscalid and thiophanate-methyl in sediment, at concentrations from 0.1 µg kg-1 to 39.6 µg kg-1. Standard of pesticide residues in water and sediment studies are needed to evaluate such contamination. Regional samplings standard, as was done here, will be useful in a future water resources contamination mapping.

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Gisele Cemin

Papers

Morphometric evaluation of watersheds in Caxias do Sul City, Brazil, using SRTM (DEM) data and GIS

Landscape composition and configuration of jacaré stream sub-basin, Taquari Valley, RS, with emphasis on the forest areas.

Spectral Discrimination of Grape Varieties and a Search for Terroir Effects Using Remote Sensing

A ecologia da paisagem como base para o zoneamento ambiental da região político-administrativa – Vale do Taquari – RS – Brasil – um modelo de proposta metodológica

Determinação de agrotóxicos na água e sedimentos por HPLC-HRMS e sua relação com o uso e ocupação do solo