Improved Remotely-Sensed Estimates of Crop Residue Cover by Incorporating Soils Information

Remote sensing allows for the rapid determination of crop residue cover. The Cellulose Absorption Index (CAI) has been shown to more accurately estimate residue cover and non-photosynthetic vegetation than other indices. CAI is useful as values are linear areal mixtures of soil and residue spectral properties. Our research shows that spatial soil property data can be used for calibration to improve residue cover estimates. Furthermore, residue cover estimations are affected by rainfall and live green vegetation, and these need to be accounted for in analyses. This work supports the concept that future remote sensing platforms should include CAI bands to allow for better estimation of residue cover.