Spectral estimates of solar radiation intercepted by corn canopies.

Reflectance factor data were acquired with a Landsat band radiometer, agronomic data collected included leaf area index (LAI) , biomass, development stage, and final grain yields. Single observations of LAI or greenness have limited value in predicting corn yields. Models which simulated the daily effects of weather and intercepted solar radiation on growth had the highest correlations to grain yields. This concept of estimating intercepted solar radiation using spectral data represents a viable approach for merging spectral and meteorological data for crop yield models. -from Authors