Location: Sugarcane Research
Project Number: 6052-13210-003-002-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jan 1, 2020
End Date: Dec 31, 2024
Objective:
The objective is to create an eddy covariance network in the Louisiana sugarcane belt. The first two towers are located in Schriever, and the proposed tower will be in St. Gabriel, approximately 60 km to the northwest. ARS will provide the tower, sensors, and personnel to install the tower. LSU will assist with connecting data to their existing weather station network.
Approach:
The USDA-ARS, Sugarcane Research Unit, will manage the eddy covariance flux / weather tower installed at the St. Gabriel location as part of a network of flux towers positioned within the Louisiana sugarcane belt. The flux tower will collect carbon dioxide and water vapor flux measurements, as well as wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, barometric pressure, solar irradiance, soil temperature, and soil moisture. The measurements will be made within an area of sufficient sugarcane production fields to accommodate the tower’s fetch. Select data will be made available to the LSU AgCenter as part of their weather station portal, as well as to researcher’s as requested. Thirty minute data readings will be stored on the cloud and at the USDA-ARS Ardoyne Farm in Schriever, LA, and used to evaluate sugarcane carbon and water flux at this location. Further examples of data use include a) exploring the genotype by environment interaction that exists for commercial sugarcane varieties; b) monitor weather conditions for freezing conditions or disease outbreaks; or c) evaluate the interconnectedness of hydrology and crop yield.
