July1, 2002

Italy:  Po River Valley Crop Update

Landsat7 Image Comparison:  June 1 and June 17, 2002

The above images were acquired by the Landsat7 satellite on June 1 and June 17, 2002.  The images are presented using a combination of band 4 (near infrared), band 5 (mid infrared) and band 3 (red) images in place of the natural red, green, and blue image seen by the human eye.  This band combination enhances the appearance of vegetation, by giving it a "false-color" red, and in this example shows that a substantial amount of vegetation appeared between the time the two images were acquired.  Warm, dry conditions in June have allowed the crops in the central Po River Valley to make substantial growth progress.

Cumulative Precipitation Since April 1, 2002

Rainfall was plentiful this spring, although most of the Po River Valley is irrigated during the summer.

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For more information, contact Jim Tringe james.tringe@fas.usda.gov
with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division, at (202)720-0882