Project Number: 1265-12660-006-08
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Jun 01, 2006
End Date: Sep 30, 2009

Objective:
Objectives are to acquire remotely sensed imagery and develop remote sensing technologies for measuring and reporting crop residue cover in the Midwest. An additional study will examine the impact of crop residue type and soil type on the remotely sensed indices.

Approach:
Current methods of quantifying crop residue cover are inadequate for characterizing the spatial variability of residue cover within fields or across large regions. Multispectral and hyperspectral remotely sensed data will be acquired over agricultural fields shortly after planting in Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. Crop residue cover will be measured in corn and soybean fields using line-point transects. Spectral residue will be calibrated on subset of fields and tested with other fields and locations. The tillage intensity class of each field will be identified based on crop residue cover. Information on the previous season's crop will be merged with current residue cover to produce an inventory of soil tillage intensity by crop type for each test site.