ARS | Publication request: Quantifying Effects Of Water Stress On Sunflowers

Submitted to: National Sunflower Research Forum Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 21, 2009
Publication Date: January 13, 2010
Citation: Buchleiter, G.W., Bausch, W.C., Mcmaster, G.S. 2010. Quantifying Effects Of Water Stress On Sunflowers. National Sunflower Research Forum Proceedings.

Technical Abstract: This poster presentation describes the data collection and analysis procedures and results for 2009 from a research grant funded by the National Sunflower Association. The primary objective was to evaluate the use of crop canopy temperature measured with infrared temperature sensors, as a more time effective and accurate method for determining water stress coefficients required for calculating crop water use under limited irrigation conditions. Results from this replicated plot study indicated the sensors were able to measure significant differences in canopy temperatures for 4 water treatments ranging from fully irrigated to dryland conditions. Analyses showed good correlations with the associated soil water measurements and that canopy temperatures may be a more effective and less expensive way of assessing water stress levels than using soil water measurements.