GNSS-R of soil moisture content in Khuzestan for optimal crop distribution

Abstract

A new technology based on the reflection of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals, namely GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R), can monitor soil moisture content (SMC) and provide very valuable data for agriculture and hydrology at a regional and larger scales. In this paper, GNSS-R SMC estimates in the Khuzestan Province of Iran are estimated from the NASA’s Cyclone GNSS (GYGNSS) data through the bistatic radar equation and the Fresnel coefficients. We identify a set of optimal areas for agriculture with CYGNSS SMC estimates (SMC>0.1) during the dry season of 2021. We compare the results with the actual distribution of wheat, and provide some suggestions and recommendations for future works on using GNSS-R SMC in agriculture. We provide the first insights of the possible benefits that GNSS-R SMC can deliver to farmers and national government.