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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 #392387

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

Location: Water Management and Systems Research

Title: Using infrared thermometry to schedule irrigation with limited water

Author
item DeJonge, Kendall
item Zhang, Huihui
item ALTENHOFEN, JON - Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District

Submitted to: Annual Hydrology Days Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: n/a

Technical Abstract: As irrigated agriculture faces uncertainty and limited water resources, managing water under limited irrigation becomes increasingly important. Detecting crop water stress, both over time and space, is challenging but possible using infrared thermometry to measure canopy temperature. In this talk we discuss an ongoing experiment at the Limited Irrigation Research Farm near Greeley, CO, where canopy temperature is used as an indicator to both trigger irrigation and quantify crop consumptive use. This technology has potential to be scaled spatially to inform variable rate irrigation systems.