Downscaling Pesticide Use Data to the Crop Field Level in California Using Landsat Satellite Imagery: Paraquat Case Study

Exposure to pesticides has been associated with increased risk of many adverse health effects. To understand the relationships between pesticide exposure and health outcomes, epidemiologists need information on where pesticides are applied in the environment. California maintains one of the most comprehensive pesticide use reporting systems in the world, yet the data are only recorded at a coarse geographic scale of approximately 2.6 km area. A method is presented that uses Landsat image time series to downscale California pesticide use data to the crop field-level. The approach is demonstrated using paraquat applied to vineyard and cotton fields.