Synthetic　aperture　radar　has　been　used　widely　in　crop　recognition　and　monitoring.　In　the　past,　most　of　the　studies　of　rice　mapping　and　yield　estimation　are　based　on　single　polarized　SAR　data.　In　order　to　evaluate　the　feasibility　of　rice　recognition　approach　and　compress　the　amount　of　SAR　data,　multi-temporal　and　dual　polarized　SAR　data　were　used　here.　In　rice　growing　stage,　two　dates　and　dual　polarization　(VV　&　HH)　ENVISAT　ASAR　data　were　acquired　in　Changle　study　area.　With　the　analysis　of　rice　and　other　land　cover　classes　backscatter　coefficient,　an　image　processing　method　of　difference　index　was　applied　to　enhance　rice　information　and　decreased　the　confusion　between　rice　and　non-rice.　Threshold　technique　was　carried　out　finally　for　extracting　rice　information.　Results　indicate　that　the　rice　information　extraction　achieves　a　91.02%　overall　accuracy.　Therefore,　the　method　is　an　effective　one　for　SAR　information　recognition　in　distinguishing　rice　and　other　land　cover　categories.　©　2008　IEEE.