ESTIMATION OF RICE AREA IN THIRUVARUR DISTRICT USING SENTINEL-2 SATELLITE DATA

Accurate estimation of rice cultivation areas is essential for agricultural planning and food security.This study utilizes Sentinel-2 satellite data and optical remote sensing techniques to estimate kharif paddy areas in Thiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu.The methodology includes preprocessing Sentinel-2 data, developing False Color Composites, and employing supervised classification through Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) to delineate paddy fields.Ground truth data collected from 103 points supported the classification process.The analysis estimated the district's kharif paddy area at 18,815.92 hectares, with the Mannargudi block accounting for the largest share (20.43%).Accuracy assessment using a confusion matrix yielded an overall accuracy of 91.3% and a Kappa index of 0.82, demonstrating the reliability of the results.This study underscores the potential of optical remote sensing for large-scale agricultural monitoring, offering a cost-effective and precise tool to support agricultural planning and resource management.