Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B 2026 Vol.27 No.5 P.537-560

http://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B2500403


Deep learning-based phenology extraction and crop classification in arid oasis using Sentinel-2 time series


Author(s):  Chunli WANG, Jianan CHI, Xiao ZHANG, Nannan ZHANG

Affiliation(s):  1. College of Information Engineering, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China more

Corresponding email(s):   zhangnannan@taru.edu.cn

Key Words:  Remote sensing classification, Deep learning, Sentinel-2 imagery, Multi-scale feature fusion, Crop phenology


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Chunli WANG, Jianan CHI, Xiao ZHANG, Nannan ZHANG. Deep learning-based phenology extraction and crop classification in arid oasis using Sentinel-2 time series[J]. Journal of Zhejiang University Science B, 2026, 27(5): 537-560.

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author="Chunli WANG, Jianan CHI, Xiao ZHANG, Nannan ZHANG",
journal="Journal of Zhejiang University Science B",
volume="27",
number="5",
pages="537-560",
year="2026",
publisher="Zhejiang University Press & Springer",
doi="10.1631/jzus.B2500403"
}

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%T Deep learning-based phenology extraction and crop classification in arid oasis using Sentinel-2 time series
%A Chunli WANG
%A Jianan CHI
%A Xiao ZHANG
%A Nannan ZHANG
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%P 537-560
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%DOI 10.1631/jzus.B2500403

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T1 - Deep learning-based phenology extraction and crop classification in arid oasis using Sentinel-2 time series
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A1 - Jianan CHI
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A1 - Nannan ZHANG
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%@ 1673-1581
Y1 - 2026
PB - Zhejiang University Press & Springer
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DOI - 10.1631/jzus.B2500403


Abstract: 
Multi-temporal remote sensing data in large-scale crop phenology identification and classification have become increasingly utilized, particularly for precision management in arid oasis agricultural regions with complex cropping systems. In this study, we developed a deep learning framework integrating Sentinel-2 multi-temporal imagery and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series for mapping cotton, winter jujube, and tiger nut crops in Tumushuke City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. We employed the minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) algorithm for spectral and vegetation index feature selection, followed by Savitzky-Golay (S-G) filtering and double logistic function fitting, to automatically extract the key phenological parameters (start of season (SOS), peak of season (POS), and end of season (EOS)), significantly improving phenological feature extraction accuracy. By incorporating multi-temporal Sentinel-2 data and a multi-scale feature fusion approach, we could systematically compare five classification models (multi-layer perceptron (MLP), residual network-18 (ResNet-18), convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM), Transformer, and random forest classifier (RFC)), demonstrating that high-resolution spatial details substantially enhance crop boundary delineation and classification consistency in complex environments. Further optimization of Transformer’s spatial representation through multi-scale window analysis revealed that the use of 1×1+3×3+5×5 convolutional windows achieves an optimal balance between accuracy and computational efficiency. Independent validation on unseen areas confirmed robust model transferability, with F1 scores of 94.37%, 87.75%, and 86.35% for the three crops (winter jujube, cotton, and tiger nut), respectively. This study validates the high-precision identification potential of Sentinel-2 temporal data and deep neural networks for multi-crop environments, enabling the precise spatial mapping of crop distributions and providing methodological support for smart agricultural decision-making in arid oasis regions.

基于深度学习的干旱绿洲地区Sentinel-2时间序列物候提取与作物分类

王春莉1,2, 池佳男1,2, 张晓1,2, 张楠楠1,2
1塔里木大学信息工程学院, 中国阿拉尔, 843300
2塔里木大学绿洲农业重点实验室, 中国阿拉尔, 843300
摘要:多时相遥感数据在大规模作物物候识别与分类中应用日益广泛,尤其适用于种植结构复杂的干旱绿洲农业区域的精细化管理。本研究构建了一个融合Sentinel-2多时相影像与归一化植被指数(NDVI)时间序列的深度学习框架,用于对中国新疆图木舒克市的棉花、冬枣和油莎豆进行分类制图。采用最小冗余最大相关(mRMR)算法进行光谱与植被指数特征选择,结合Savitzky-Golay(S-G)滤波与双逻辑函数拟合,自动提取关键物候参数(生长季开始(SOS)、生长季峰值(POS)和生长季结束(EOS)),显著提升了物候特征提取的精度。通过融合多时相Sentinel-2数据与多尺度特征融合策略,系统比较了五种分类模型(MLP、ResNet-18、ConvLSTM、Transformer和RFC),结果表明高分辨率空间细节能显著增强复杂环境下作物边界划定与分类一致性。通过多尺度窗口分析进一步优化Transformer的空间表征能力,发现1×1+3×3+5×5卷积窗口在精度与计算效率间达到最佳平衡。在未参与训练区域的独立验证表明模型具有良好的泛化能力,三种作物(冬枣、棉花和油莎豆)的F1分数分别达到94.37%、87.75%和86.35%。综上所述,本研究验证了Sentinel-2时间序列数据与深度神经网络在多作物环境中具有高精度识别潜力,且能够实现作物分布的精确空间制图,为干旱绿洲地区的智慧农业决策提供方法支持。

关键词:遥感分类;深度学习;Sentinel-2影像;多尺度特征融合;作物物候

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Full Text:   <863>

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CLC number: 

On-line Access: 2026-05-15

Received: 2025-07-11

Revision Accepted: 2025-12-03

Crosschecked: 2026-05-15

Cited: 0

Clicked: 1335

Citations:  Bibtex RefMan EndNote GB/T7714

 ORCID:

Chunli WANG

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1865-5404

Nannan ZHANG

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2956-8815

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