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IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, "Resource and Environmental Monitoring", Hyderabad, India,2002 
  
to select the optimum period. Signature statistics and class 
separability were generated using data of optimum period. The 
accuracy of classification was assessed using training site as well 
as blind site pixels (Mehta et al, 2002). 
5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
The temporal signature of apple orchards reflected the 
phonological changes. The orchards are barely seen in data 
acquired during December-January period, as the foliage covering 
is minimum during this period. The orchards were prominent with 
high reflectance in NIR band in May data, that coincide fruit 
initiation with good foliage cover. The forest classes, particularly 
the deodar class was distinctly separate in all dates, where as the 
signature of the broad leafed mixed forest class showed a 
temporal variation. Fig.2 shows the temporal NDVI signature of 
apple orchards and broad-leafed forest class. Fig. 3 shows 
temporal spectral variation in red and NIR bands of. dense apple 
orchard and broad leafed forest class. 
The temporal signature statistics and class separability of apple 
and forest classes using Oct., March, April and May data is shown 
in Table-1. 
Table 1: Temporal signature seperability for some of the critical 
apple and forest Classes. 
  
Sr. Signature Oct. Mar. April May 
No. | pair 1908 | 1999 1999 1999 
1 A1-FI 1.64 1.99 1.98 0.97 
2 A1-A2 0.90 1.30 1.00 1.82 
3 A1-A3 1.71 1.91 1.73 1.99 
4 A2 — A3 1.08 | 0.79 1.04 1.74 
3 A3 - FL 0.52 1.64 0.65 1.88 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Signature separability of same classes using May 27 data is 
shown in Table 2. 
Analysis showed that apple classes seperability is maximum in 
May 27data. However, there is a overlap of signatures between 
dense apple orchards (A1) and broad leaved mixed forest class 
(Fl) with separability of 0.97 in Bhattacharrya distance. The 
Images of March and April show seperability of 1.99 and 1.98 
respectively, between these two classes. 
Table 2: Signature separability (Bhattacharrya distance*) of 
training class pixels using 3 — band (G,R,NIR) of May 27, 1999 
data. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Class | Al A2 A3 Fl F2 
A2 1.81 
A3 199 | 1.74 
Fl 097. |198 . | 2.00 
F2 19 [1997119 192 
FL 199. 19 (188. Ii» 119 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(* = 2.00 stands for maximum separability) 
6. CONCLUSIONS 
The study indicates that data acquired during May-July is 
optimum for apple orchard inventory using single date data. 
During this period, the orchards give distinct signature due to 
good foliage cover with fruits. During other season, the orchards 
could hardly be detected as vegetation is minimum and also 
during flowering and leaf fall period. Data acquired during May 
was used as data availability becomes poor thereafter due to cloud 
cover problem. LISS III data acquired during May resulted better 
than 95 percent classification accuracy, though there is a slight 
overlap of dense apple orchards with broad leafed forest. 
REFERENCES 
Mehta N.S, Bhatt Nitin, Thapa R.S, Sharma Arvind, Sood R.K 
and Panigrahy S (2000). Evaluation of IRS LISS III data for 
apple orchard inventory — A case study covering Jubbal — Kotkhai 
block of Shimla district. Paper presented at national seminar on 
“Spatial Technologies for Natural Hazards Management”, 
November 21 — 22, 2000, IIT Kanpur. 
Panigrahy S, Mehta N.S, Bhatt Nitin, Sood R.K, Thapa R.S, 
Verma K.L, Negi K.S, and Sharma Arvind, (2000). Apple orchard 
inventory using IRS LISS III data — A case study for Shimla 
district. Scientific Report : Space Applications Center(ISRO), 
Ahmedabad. RSAM/SAC/HORT/SR/01/2000. 
Bhatt Nitin and Mehta N.S (2001). Role of DEM in apple orchard 
characterization — A case study covering parts of Shimla district 
(Himachal Pradesh). Paper presented at national symposium on “ 
Advances in remote sensing technology with special emphasis on 
high resolution imagery”, December 11 — 13, 2001, SAC, 
Ahmedabad. 
Mehta N.S and Panigrahy S (2002). Manual of procedure for 
orchard inventory and database creation Manual 
SAC/RSAM/NEHORT/MN/01/02. Space Applications 
Center(ISRO), Ahmedabad. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
Authors express their deep gratitude to Shri J.S.Parihar, Mission 
Director, RSAM and Group Director, ARG of Remote Sensing 
Applications Area for guidance, inspiration and encouragement 
from time to time during the course of the study. Help and co — 
operation from Department of Horticulture and H.P. Remote 
Sensing Cell, Shimla is thankfully acknowledged.