Reflectances from four wheat residue cover densities as influenced by three soil backgrounds

It is important to know quantity of crop residue on the soil surface to maintain or to improve soil physical and chemical properties and to assess the soil's susceptibility to erosion. Our objective was to use remote sensing techniques to examine the potential for remotely differentiating among wheat residue quantities and bare soils. We used three soils of the northern Great Plains (Williams loam [fine-loamy, mixed Typic Argiboroll], Vanda Clay [fine-silty, mixed calcareous, frigid Ustic Torriorthents], and Lambert silt loam [finesilty, mixed calcareous, frigid Typic Ustorthents]) that had either dry or wet surfaces and 0, 33, 66, and 100% wheat residues covering the soil surfaces (...)