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Plasticulture detection at the country scale by combining multispectral and SAR satellite data
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Scientists used satellite images and computer analysis to map, for the first time, exactly where plastic sheeting is used across German farms, whether spread over soil (mulch film) or used to cover greenhouses. This matters because plastic mulch breaks down in fields over time, shedding tiny plastic fragments into soil and potentially into the food we grow, making it important to track how much is being used so we can better understand and manage this source of environmental and food-chain contamination.
The use of plastic films has been growing in agriculture, benefiting consumers and producers. However, concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of plastic film use, with mulching films posing a greater threat than greenhouse films. This calls for large-scale monitoring of different plastic film uses. We used cloud computing, freely available optical and radar satellite images, and machine learning to map plastic-mulched farmland (PMF) and plastic cover above vegetation (PCV) (e.g., greenhouse, tunnel) across Germany. The algorithm detected 103 103 ha of PMF and 37 103 ha of PCV in 2020, while a combination of agricultural statistics and surveys estimated a smaller plasticulture cover of around 100 103 ha in 2019. Based on ground observations, the overall accuracy of the classification is 85.3%. Optical and radar features had similar importance scores, and a distinct backscatter of PCV was related to metal frames underneath the plastic films. Overall, the algorithm achieved great results in the distinction between PCV and PMF. This study maps different plastic film uses at a country scale for the first time and sheds light on the high potential of freely available satellite data for continental monitoring.
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