PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - B. Lowery AU - T. M. Lillesand AU - D. H. Mueller AU - P. Weiler AU - F. L. Scarpace AU - T. C. Daniel TI - Determination of crop residue cover using scanning microdensitometry DP - 1984 Nov 01 TA - Journal of Soil and Water Conservation PG - 402--403 VI - 39 IP - 6 4099 - http://www.jswconline.org/content/39/6/402.short 4100 - http://www.jswconline.org/content/39/6/402.full AB - Percentage of land covered with corn (Zea mays L.) residue was determined using a scanning microdensitometer. The effectiveness of this densitometric technique was evaluated by comparing the results with those obtained using two conventional approaches, the line-transect (bead-string) method and the photographic method, over a range of cover and topographic conditions. The densitometric method produced results similar to the conventional methods in less time than the bead-string method and with less eye strain than the photographic method. However, the densitometric method underestimated the percent cover with very rough surfaces, such as created by the chisel plow and the till-plant system.