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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Water Management and Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407883
Research Project: Improving Crop Performance and Precision Irrigation Management in Semi-Arid Regions through Data-Driven Research, AI, and Integrated Models

Location: Water Management and Systems Research

Title: A web-based platform for the retrieval of crop water stress index for irrigation scheduling

Author
item Zhang, Huihui
item MANH, LINH HO - University Of Texas At Arlington
item HA, DANG HO - Hanoi University Of Science And Technology
item ANDALES, ALLAN - Colorado State University
item WANG, SHOUYI - University Of Texas At Arlington

Submitted to: Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2024
Publication Date: 1/4/2025
Citation: Zhang, H., Manh, L., Ha, D., Andales, A., Wang, S. 2025. A web-based platform for the retrieval of crop water stress index for irrigation scheduling. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 230(March 2025) e109870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.109870.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.109870

Interpretive Summary: Water resources are becoming scarcer and of lower quality, and this is putting a lot of pressure on plants. Understanding and dealing with water stress is super important for managing fields and crops, especially in farming. To help with this, we used the Crop Water Stress Index, or CWSI for short. It can be measured using thermometers that look at the temperature of plants from above. The calculation of CWSI is complicated. We developed a web-based tool that can do the calculation and is pretty simple to use. Once we have these numbers, we can help farmers decide when and how much to water their crops. This not only saves water but also helps the plants grow better and produce more food. We even integrated our application with the Water Irrigation Scheduler for Efficient Application (WISE) tool. We've tackled the problem of water stress in plants by creating a handy tool that tells us when to water and how much, making farming more efficient and helping us conserve water.

Technical Abstract: Water resource limitations, both quantitative and qualitative, have placed considerable stress on plant life. Detecting and addressing water stress is crucial for effective field and crop management, particularly in agriculture. In this context, the Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) is employed as a measure of crop water status, typically assessed through infrared thermometry atop plants. To quantify the water stress using the CWSI, we developed a novel method for conveniently estimating and managing water stress based on the date and time values. The underlying mechanism of this web-based CWSI calculation is based on empirical and theoretical methods. Once CWSI coefficients are retrieved, the application becomes a valuable tool for optimizing irrigation scheduling, utilizing the Water Irrigation Scheduler for Efficient Application (WISE) tool.