A high-resolution (500 m) dataset for mapping key agronomic growth stages of maize in Northeast China

Accurate monitoring of agronomic phenology is essential for yield estimation and food security assessment. However, currently available maize phenology datasets usually represent only a limited number of growth stages, restricting their application in process-based crop modeling and stage-specific agricultural management. Here, we present a high-resolution maize phenology dataset for Northeast China spanning 2001-2024 at 500-m spatial resolution and daily temporal resolution. By coupling MODIS spectral information with meteorological drivers in an energy-driven XGBoost framework, we retrieved eight key agronomic stages: Emergence, Three-leaf, Seven-leaf, Jointing, Flowering, Silking, Milking, and Maturity. Validation against observations from 91 agrometeorological stations during 2009-2024 demonstrates robust performance, with an overall RMSE of less than 5 days and R² values greater than 0.63 across all stages. Beyond overall accuracy, the dataset shows strong spatial consistency and temporal stability, preserves coherent regional phenological gradients, and captures interannual variations over the 24-year period. This long-term, multi-stage dataset provides a valuable benchmark for crop model calibration, climate change impact assessment, and the development of adaptive agricultural strategies in one of the world's major maize-producing regions.