Li et al. (2026) Canopy Hotspot Effects Improve Root-Zone Soil Moisture Content Estimation in Winter Wheat Based on LESS Simulations and UAV Multi-Angular Observations

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Identification

• Journal: Agronomy
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-24
• Authors: Zilong Li, Bei Zhang, Sumeng Ye, 钱方舟, Hao Liu, Xiaohan Lu, Guoqiang Hu, Zhitao Zhang, Junying Chen
• DOI: 10.3390/agronomy16151406

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study evaluates the use of hotspot-sensitive multi-angular observations, simulated via the LESS model and captured by UAVs, to estimate root-zone soil moisture content (SMC) in winter wheat. The results demonstrate that backscattering directions, particularly at 560 nm, significantly enhance the accuracy of SMC estimation.

Objective

• To evaluate the potential of hotspot-sensitive multi-angular observations for estimating root-zone soil moisture content (SMC) in winter wheat.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field scale (winter wheat plots under four irrigation treatments).
• Temporal Scale: Not specified.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: LESS (LargE-Scale remote sensing data and image Simulation framework) radiative transfer model.
• Data sources: UAV-acquired multispectral imagery and field-measured canopy characteristics.

Main Results

• Hotspot characteristics at 560 nm exhibited the strongest response to water stress.
• The LESS model simulated higher angular variability (CV $\approx$ 0.30) than that observed via UAV (CV $\approx$ 0.18).
• Root-zone SMC estimation performed best in hotspot-sensitive backscattering directions, achieving an $R^2 \approx 0.60$ and an $\text{RMSE} \approx 0.022 \text{ m}^3 \text{ m}^{-3}$.

Contributions

• Provides evidence that multi-angular remote sensing, specifically the exploitation of the "hotspot" effect, offers valuable complementary information for the estimation of root-zone soil moisture in agricultural crops.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Li2026Canopy,
  author = {Li, Zilong and Zhang, Bei and Ye, Sumeng and 钱方舟 and Liu, Hao and Lu, Xiaohan and Hu, Guoqiang and Zhang, Zhitao and Chen, Junying},
  title = {Canopy Hotspot Effects Improve Root-Zone Soil Moisture Content Estimation in Winter Wheat Based on LESS Simulations and UAV Multi-Angular Observations},
  journal = {Agronomy},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/agronomy16151406},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16151406}
}