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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 #414212
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 novel sap flow system to measure maize transpiration using a heat pulse method

Author
item CAPURRO, MARIA - Colorado State University
item HAM, JAY - Colorado State University
item KLUITENBERG, GERARD - Kansas State University
item Comas, Louise
item ANDALES, ALLAN - Colorado State University

Submitted to: Agricultural Water Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/2024
Publication Date: 7/25/2024
Citation: Capurro, M.C., Ham, J.M., Kluitenberg, G.J., Comas, L.H., Andales, A.A. 2024. A novel sap flow system to measure maize transpiration using a heat pulse method. Agricultural Water Management. 301. Article e108963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108963.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2024.108963

Interpretive Summary: Finding ways to irrigate more efficiently is crucial for long term agricultural sustainability around the globe. Assessing plant water use with sap flow sensors can help quantify crop irrigation water requirements and identify ways to improve irrigation efficiency. We developed a new sap flow sensor that uses a new heat pulse technique to measure the flow of water through plant stems. These sensors were made using a desktop 3D printer, low-cost components, open-source electronics, and cellular-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology. Sensors were calibrated and validated in a greenhouse and evaluated in two well-irrigated maize fields in northern Colorado, USA. Greenhouse validation studies showed that sensors could measure daily water use to within 6-9% of actual plant water use. In the field, comparison with commercially available sensors showed a difference of 8% for daily transpiration (T) estimation. Comparison between maize water use calculated from daily ASCE reference evapotranspiration and basal crop coefficients showed similar results (2-4%). Results demonstrated that the new sensors are an adequate low-cost-tool for monitoring of crop water use in the field or in greenhouses.

Technical Abstract: Finding ways to irrigate more efficiently is crucial for long term agricultural sustainability around the globe. Assessing plant water consumption using sap flow sensors (SFG) can help quantify irrigation water requirements and identify ways to improve irrigation efficiency. We developed a novel sap flow sensor that uses a new heat pulse technique to measure the flow of water through plant stems. These SFGs were made using a desktop 3D printer, low-cost components, open-source electronics, and cellular-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology. Sensors were calibrated and validated in a greenhouse and evaluated in a well-irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) field in northern Colorado, USA for two years. Greenhouse validation studies showed that SFGs could measure daily water use (g day-1) to within 5.9% and 9.4% of gravimetric measurements for 2020 and 2019 respectively. In the field, comparison with commercially available SFGs showed a difference of 8% for daily transpiration (T) estimation. Comparison between maize T calculated from the ASCE reference evapotranspiration (ETr) and basal crop coefficients (Kcb) showed similar results. Allowed daily estimates with a difference for periods between 12 to 17 days of 4.4% and 2%, for 2020 and 2019 respectively. Results demonstrated that these SFGs are an adequate low-cost-tool for monitoring of crop water use at the field scale or individual plant water use in controlled environments.