L-band radar backscattering from a mature corn canopy: Effect of cobs

The effect of cobs on radar backscatter from a mature corn canopy is considered. In the past, a number of papers have modeled the backscattering properties of corn plants when the cobs are not present. It has been shown by O'Neill et al. [1] that the cob can constitute as much as one third of the total biomass of a mature corn plant. The position of the cob close to the stalk and the lack of knowledge of its dielectric properties make it difficult to model. These difficulties have been overcome with the aid of advanced numerical analysis tools and new biophysical measurements of the corn.