Global Winter Wheat Fractional Cover Maps from MODIS, 2001-2020

A 1 km resolution global map series of winter wheat fractional cover from 2001 to 2020, created by Yanan Wen. The dataset was generated using MODIS satellite data and a Gaussian mixture model framework, validated against FAO statistics and local maps. It covers key global planting areas and was last updated in May 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term trends in winter wheat cultivation based on the 20-year time series.
• Validating and calibrating global crop models using the 1 km resolution fractional cover estimates.
• Assessing the impact of climate or policy changes on winter wheat distribution in primary planting regions.

Strengths

• Covers a 20-year time range from 2001 to 2020.
• Achieved a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.81 with FAO statistics in primary regions.
• Provides data at a 1 km spatial resolution.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Spatial coverage is limited to 'key global planting areas' rather than a complete global extent.

Provenance

Source

MODIS satellite surface reflectance data and multiple public crop datasets.

Collection Method

Generated using a random forest regression model and a flexible Gaussian mixture model framework to estimate crop fractions within 1°×1° grids.

Time Range

2001 to 2020

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-03 09:50:21; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Key global primary planting areas for winter wheat.