Identification of 'Start of Season' in Major Rainfed Crops of Tamil Nadu, India Using Remote Sensing Technology

Cropping seasons are the seasons in which a particular crop is grown. Identification of cropping seasons is crucial for successful cropping in rainfed areas. This research study focuses on the identification of major rainfed crop growing seasons in rainfed areas of Tamil Nadu using remote sensing technology. The MODIS (Moderate-Resolution Image Spectroradiometer) satellite product MOD13Q1 is utilized to produce NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) of the study region. Then the NDVI values for each rainfed ground truth point were extracted and the value was used to produce a line graph representing the crop growing period. Likewise, multiple lines were produced for major rainfed crops: Rice, Maize, Pearl millet, Sorghum, Groundnut, Moth bean, Cotton and Chilli. The result reveals that the Maize and Cotton growing season starts in June-July, mostly single crop per year. Rice, Pearl millet, Sorghum and Chilli are also grown as a single crop per year, sowing by the month of October-November. Besides, there was a double-cropping area of Groundnut- Black gram and Groundnut-Moth Bean raised during June-July and October-November respectively.