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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 #361798
Research Project: Improving the Sustainability of Irrigated Farming Systems in Semi-Arid Regions

Location: Water Management and Systems Research

Title: Using canopy stomatal conductance calculated from remotely sensed plant parameters to determine plant water status.

Author
item WENZ, JOSHUA - Colorad0 State University
item Comas, Louise
item ALTENHOFEN, JON - Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
item WILLI, KATIE - Colorado State University
item Zhang, Huihui
item Gleason, Sean
item CHAVEZ, JOSE - Colorad0 State University
item DeJonge, Kendall
item Mankin, Kyle

Submitted to: Annual American Geophysical Union Hydrology Days
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/25/2019
Publication Date: 3/27/2019
Citation: Wenz, J., Comas, L.H., Altenhofen, J., Willi, K., Zhang, H., Gleason, S.M., Chavez, J., DeJonge, K.C., Douglas-Mankin, K.R. 2019. Using canopy stomatal conductance calculated from remotely sensed plant parameters to determine plant water status. Annual American Geophysical Union Hydrology Days. http://hydrologydays.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HD-2019_Program-FINAL.pdf.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Remote sensing of plant canopy temperature has tremendous potential for estimating water and carbon fluxes in plants. Data from continual plant monitoring, whether ground or aerial, can be used for estimations of plant water use and stress status. Such data, thus, can allow for plant-based irrigation scheduling (timing and amount required), and yield estimations. Currently, indirect estimations of plant water needs from soil moisture content require complex equipment and many steps. Similar determinations from empirical crop coefficients such as crop water stress index (CWSI) may work for producers located near reliable weather stations but have limited applicability under cloudy and windy conditions. Calculating plant water needs from simple and direct plant monitoring methods of canopy temperature and ground cover may provide an effective and less empirical alternative. Here, we calculate canopy stomatal conductance (gc) and transpiration with the Penman-Monteith (PM) procedure using weather and oblique-angled infrared thermometer (IRTs) data and compare against gc and transpiration determined from heat-balance type sap flow gages installed on field plants. We also calculate plant canopy temperature using PM and weather data and compare against IRT data.