Evaluating the utility of multispectral remote sensing for monitoring forage crops: A case study of Sulla Coronaria in the Sicily region, Italy

Traditional methods of agricultural monitoring are resource-intensive and becoming impractical, and agriculture benefits greatly from remote sensing technologies like satellite imagery. This offers efficient, scalable, and timely solutions for crop management and monitoring. With wide spatial coverage and high temporal resolution, satellite data enhances precision in land classification while reducing the need for extensive fieldwork. In this study monitoring of Sulla Coronaria (referred as Sulla hereafter) as an important Mediterranean forage crop was done using imagery from Sentinel-2 mission in the central Sicily region, Italy, of the Mediterranean basin. Three fields viz., Casale, Lipira, and Verbumcaudo were selected for the monitoring from November-2023 to May-2024. Based on the values of vegetation indices (VIs), all the three fields had similar results till the month of March-2024. However, from April-2024, both Lipira and Verbumcaudo had declining value of the VIs. The growth of Sulla plant was consistent for Casale field, and the best results were obtained in terms of all the VIs. Furthermore, aspect maps were also produced to understand a possible reason behind this. Dominance of east (67.5°-112.5°) and southeast (112.5°-157.5°) orientations in the Casale field suggest that it receives substantial morning sunlight, which can be beneficial for the early growth stages of Sulla. Whereas Verbumcaudo and Lipira fields receive more direct sunlight throughout the day and have more morning exposure that can influence crop growth and water requirements. The results from the study can be implemented to customize agricultural practices, selection of optimal fields, not just for Sulla cultivation but other crops as well, ensuring better yields and resource management. • Sulla Coronaria crop monitored via Sentinel-2 multispectral data in Sicily, Italy. • Variation in crop performance in different fields linked to VIs, revealing moisture and heat stress • VIs may under-estimate crop health: especially at flowering stage due to reduced chlorophyl • How to integrate VIs and Aspect maps for selection of optimal fields and irrigation planning