U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Hively, Wells

                                                         - *Dean*item
                                            Lang, Meganitem
                                            McCarty, Gregoryitem
                                            Sadeghi, Aliitem
                                            KEPPLER, JASON - MD DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
  Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society
                                    Publication Type: Abstract Only
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2007
                                    Publication  Date: 3/21/2007
                                    Citation: Hively, W.D., Lang, M.W., McCarty, G.W., Sadeghi, A.M., Keppler, J. 2007. Remote sensing of cover crop nutrient uptake on Maryland's Eastern Shore [abstract].  2007 Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference. p. 36.Interpretive Summary:
                                Technical Abstract: The use of winter cover crops is being promoted throughout Maryland as an effective agricultural best management practice with great promise for reducing nutrient inputs to the Chesapeake Bay. Remote sensing provides a tool for real-time estimation of cover crop productivity and nutrient uptake efficiency under real-world management and landscape conditions. This project used a combination of remote sensing and field sampling to evaluate cover crop performance on farms within the Choptank River watershed, a CEAP Special Emphasis research location on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The Maryland Department of Agriculture provided information on farmer enrollment in cover crop cost share programs, including field location, planting date, species, and planting method. ArcMap was used to digitize field boundaries and sampling locations. Satellite images (SPOT, 10-m resolution) were subsequently analyzed using ENVI, providing estimates of aboveground cover crop biomass on 136 fields. On-farm sampling provided data for calibration of image interpretation and estimation of cover crop nutrient concentrations. Results showed excellent correlation (R2=0.98) between the satellite-derived vegetation index and observed biomass. Planting date, planting method (aerial, drilled, broadcast), cover crop species (wheat, rye, barley), and previous crop (maize, soy) were all significantly correlated with cover crop biomass, which ranged from 0 to 60 lb/acre. Early planted cover crops produced greater biomass, and rye outperformed barley and wheat. Within species the effect of planting method was apparent (drilled outperformed broadcast, and aerial seeded wheat did not perform as well as expected, likely due to dry conditions following seeding). Additional sampling years are necessary to account for effects of climate. The combination of remote sensing, field sampling, and access to farm program documents used by this project proved to be a successful and powerful method for real-time evaluation of cover crop performance on fields subsidized by the cover crop conservation cost share programs, serving to improve understanding of management effects on cover crop performance and to promote the most effective cover cropping techniques.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov