Mapping Dragon Fruit Croplands from Space Using Remote Sensing of Artificial Light at Night

The nighttime light (NTL) on the surface of Earth is an important indicator for the human transformation of the world. NTL remotely sensed data have been widely used in urban development, population estimation, economic activity, resource development and other fields. With the increasing use of artificial lighting technology in agriculture, it has become possible to use NTL remote sensing data for monitoring agricultural activities. In this study, National Polar Partnership (NPP)-Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) NTL remote sensing data were used to observe the seasonal variation of artificial lighting in dragon fruit cropland in Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam. Compared with the statistics of planted area, area having products and production of dragon fruit by district in the Statistical Yearbook of Binh Thuan Province 2018, values of the mean and standard deviation of NTL brightness have significant positive correlations with the statistical data. The results suggest that the NTL remotely sensed data could be used to reveal some agricultural productive activities such as dragon fruits production accurately by monitoring the seasonal artificial lighting. This research demonstrates the application potential of NTL remotely sensed data in agriculture.