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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #169013

Title: APPLICATION OF CANOPY TEMPERATURE FOR IRRIGATION SCHEDULING IN HUMID ENVIRONMENTS

Author
item BOCKHOLD, DANIEL - UNIV OF MO STUDENT

Submitted to: University of Missouri, Columbia, Thesis
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2003
Publication Date: 12/15/2003
Citation: Bockhold, D. 2003. Application of canopy temperature for irrigation scheduling in humid environments [M.S. Thesis]. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri. 81 p.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The use of infrared thermometers to measure canopy temperatures for irrigation scheduling purposes has been successfully applied in arid environments, but complications exist in humid areas where the vapor pressure deficit is low and intermittent cloud cover occurs. In this study, two different treatments of irrigation scheduling using canopy temperature were analyzed. The first method compared the canopy temperature with a predicted temperature calculated from weather data collected at the site. Irrigation was triggered when the canopy temperature was above the predicted temperature for more than three consecutive hours for two consecutive days. The second method compared the canopy temperature with the air temperature. Irrigations was triggered when canopy temperature was above the air temperature for more than three consecutive hours for two consecutive days. These two methods were evaluated against well-watered, semi-stressed and dryland treatments to determine if they provided yield gain or increased irrigation water use efficiencies. The model under-predicted canopy temperatures in some conditions, but overall results indicate the potential for yields equal to the well-watered treatment with less water using this irrigation scheduling method.