Statistical analysis and image linear stretching have been performed for each AVHRR channel for rice planting area estimation. Besides two traditional crops monitoring channels 1 and 2, Channels 3 and 4 (thermal infrared)are employed in the study for the latter ones are also rich in information and their stretched images present lower brightness temperatures for rice than for rain fed fields. Results show that the additional channels are helpful to rice identification in combination of the traditional visible and near infrared channels.