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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Southeast Watershed Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #208598
Title: Assessing Spatial and Spectral Resolution Requirements for Mapping Crop Residue Cover

Author
item Sullivan, Dana
item Fulmer, Jaime
item Strickland, Timothy - Tim
item SHAW, J - AUBURN
item MASTERS, M - FLINT RIVER
item YAO, H - ITD

Submitted to: European Conference on Precision Agriculture Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2007
Publication Date: 6/6/2007
Citation: Sullivan, D.G., Fulmer, J.L., Strickland, T.C., Shaw, J.N., Masters, M., Yao, H. 2007. Assessing Spatial and Spectral Resolution Requirements for Mapping Crop Residue Cover. 6th European Conference on Precision Agriculture Proceedings.

Interpretive Summary: Conservation tillage adoption has been associated with sustainable agricultural practices and linked with increased plant available water content in some regions. Yet, no methods are currently in place to rapidly assess conservation tillage adoption. Currently available satellite systems show promise as a tool to rapidly map conservation tillage adoption. The objective of this study was to evaluate satellite derived maps of conservation tillage adoption. In the spring of 2005 crop residue cover variability was measured on five farms located within the Southern Coastal Plain of Georgia. Remotely sensed data were collected via the LandSat 5 satellite on 22 May 2005. To determine the error associated with variability in soil properties, each site was grid sampled (0.20 ha grid) for soil water content, soil organic carbon, iron oxide content, and sand fraction (0.044-2.000 mm fraction). Soil and crop residue were composite sampled within a 1 – m radius of each point. Digital images (1.4m2) were acquired at designated grid points to classify percentages of residue coverage. Ground truth data were used to generate surface maps of crop residue cover and soil properties via geostatistical analyses. Surface maps provided the foundation for quantifying uncertainties in spatial resolution requirements and estimates of crop residue cover.

Technical Abstract: Conservation tillage adoption has been associated with sustainable agricultural practices and linked with increased plant available water content in some regions. However, rapid and spatially accurate field scale assessments in the southeastern U.S. are lacking. Currently available LandsatTM imagery shows great promise as a tool to rapidly delineate crop residue cover distribution. Yet, few studies have quantified the uncertainty in satellite derived crop residue maps and the associated impact of small scale variability in surface soil properties. In the spring of 2005 crop residue cover variability was measured on five farms located within the Southern Coastal Plain of Georgia. Remotely sensed data were collected via the LandSat 5 satellite on 22 May 2005. Proximate to image acquisition, each site was grid sampled (0.20 ha grid) for soil water content, soil organic carbon, iron oxide content, and sand fraction (0.044-2.000 mm fraction). Soil and crop residue were composite sampled within a 1 – m radius of each point. Digital images (1.4m2) were acquired at designated grid points to classify percentages of residue coverage. Ground truth data were used to generate surface maps of crop residue cover and soil properties via geostatistical analyses. Surface maps provided the foundation for quantifying uncertainties in spatial resolution requirements and estimates of crop residue cover.